Betrothed
by TheNumberFour
Summary: AU. Sam Manson's parents are planning to marry her off to Daniel, the son of Vlad Masters. But why does Daniel bear such a striking resemblance Danny Fenton? Add Danny Phantom into the mix and you have a very confused Sam. HIATUS
1. The Announcement

**Hey everyone! I'm pretty new to writing on fanfiction. First published fic *WOOHOO*! No flames PLEASE! Constructive criticism is always welcome, though. I'm always open to new ideas!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Danny Phantom or anything else I mention that I does not belong to me.**

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><p>"Sammykins!" Oh, how I despised that name. My real name is Sam Manson. Yes, it's short for Samantha, but if you call me anything other than Sam, you will suffer a horrible, grotesque death. The only people exempt from that rule is my family, solely for the reason that you can't kill your own family. The obnoxious woman who was calling me before is (sadly) my mother. I swear I was born into the wrong family. Other than my grandmother no one understands my gothic attitude. I hate almost every aspect of my family other than Grandma and my last name, because it can be associated with many dark, creepy, and disturbing Gothic things (Marilyn Manson, Manson Murders, and stuff like that, much to my parents' dismay).<p>

"Sammykins! We have some exciting news!" Mom shouted again. There was no way I was leaving the purple and black Gothic haven of my old room for news I probably wouldn't appreciate anyway. I had graduated college three weeks ago and had a job and apartment of my own. I had to stay with my parents in Wisconsin while my house was being fumigated. (I didn't say I had a _good_ job or a _nice_ apartment). I had gotten a call from the fumigators that morning, and was packing to go back home.

"Samantha Manson," she was relentless, "you get down here this instant!" Five minutes later, there were a series of rapid knocks on the door.

"Sam! I have been calling you for ten minutes!" I heard through the mahogany door.

"Actually, you were calling Sammykins and Samantha. You weren't calling me." I retorted. She rolled her eyes at my sarcasm and grabbed my wrist pulling me down the stairs and into the enormous living room, where my father, sister, and grandma were waiting, along with a silvery-white-haired man with a goatee and a blue-eyed, black-haired boy about my age who was seated next to him. Both unfamiliar men stood as I entered the room. The older one offered his hand first.

"It is absolutely wonderful to finally meet you Samantha. I am Vlad Masters and this is my son Daniel." Daniel showed a small smile and sat back down, followed by his father.

"It's very nice to meet you. And please, call me Sam." I responded politely. I noticed something off about Daniel. His movements were robotic and his eyes were cold. It seemed that eyes that blue should be twinkling somehow, even if he was bored out of his mind.

"Sam, we have an announcement to make." Mother spoke excitedly. Grandma, who sat beside me, squeezed my arm

"Remember to stay calm, Sam." Grandma advised me under her breath.

"We've been discussing this with Mr. Masters for months. You and Daniel are getting married, joining two of the most powerful families and business empires!" I was silent for a moment, taking my mother's announcement in.

"That's very… interesting." I said through clenched teeth, glaring venomously at my parents, who were smiling sickeningly at me.

"Yes, dear Samantha," said Vlad, "it is interesting. It will be the event of the century! Bigger than even the royal wedding!"

"I am an independent, 21-year-old woman! You can't tell me who to marry!" I completely disregarded Gran's advice.

"Now Sammy-"

"If you end that nickname, I swear… If you'll excuse me, I need to go back home." I rushed out of the room and to my car before either of my parents could catch me. I jammed the key into the ignition and pressed the gas pedal, racing down the long stretch of driveway.

They're off the beam if they even thought that I'd let them marry me off willingly. I muttered obscenities to myself the whole ride home to Amity. Thinking about Amity Park made me feel a lot better. I haven't really made any friends other than the one I already had. Valerie was my roommate in college and she persuaded me to move back to Amity with her. Considering what I would have to deal with at home, I said yes in a heartbeat. I got home to the apartment I shared with Valerie to see that she had already returned.

"Val? Where are you? I need to talk to you _now._" I yelled.

"Hey! Welcome back! How was your parents' house?" Valerie asked with a smile.

"Awful. I hate them. I'm never going back there." I told her. "Now they're trying to marry me off! Can you believe it? I am a 21-year-old woman!"

"Who's the guy?" She inquired further.

"His name is Daniel Masters. He's the son of Vlad Masters, the emperor of the business world. He has more money than the queen. If both he and Bill Gates were dinosaurs, Vlad would be the Tyrannosaurus Rex and Bill Gates would be one of those little dinosaurs that made up the T-Rex's diet. I'm not going to lie, though, his son is really good looking, but I can't help but notice something off about him." Val raised her eyebrow, yet said nothing.

I studied her gaze at me. She must have thought I was going insane for passing up marrying into the richest family on earth.

"You know, Vlad Masters is also-" My cell began to ring in the middle of Val's statement.

"_Sam, you need to come into work now. We're short of employees and we're unbelievably busy. We need another cashier._" Jeffrey, the manager, sounded breathless.

"I'll be right there, Jeff." I snapped my phone shut. "Sorry, Val. I gotta go into work. Tell me when I get home, okay?"

"Alright, Sam. See you later."

I needed some fresh air, so I skipped driving and walked to the Nasty Burger, the local burger joint in Amity Park. I hated this job almost as much as I hated my parents, but it was the only thing I had until I could find an actual job.

Jeff wasn't lying. Nasty Burger was absurdly busy tonight. I was a whiz with the cash register, so things went by quickly. It was closing time and Jeff entrusted me with locking up the Nasty Burger. I was cleaning the counter and doing a few last minute things in the kitchen when I heard the bell on the door jingle, signaling a customer.

"Is this place still open?" A male voice shouted from up front.

"Yeah! I'll be up in a second!" I replied in what I called my "Nasty Burger" voice: the voice I used to talk to customers. If I used my normal voice, which was naturally laced with sarcasm and indifference, I would drive customers away. I painted a smile on my face and returned to the counter. I looked up at the customer and saw the face of someone I wished I wouldn't have to see again.

"So you're following me now?" I asked dangerously and glared. The boy looked around, searching to see if there was any other person in the restaurant I could possibly be talking to.

"Yes, I'm talking to _you_." I sneered, crossing my arms.

"Okay, I don't think you're going to get any more customers if you talk to them like that." Daniel said, his blue eyes sparking with a mixture of anger and confusion.

"Oh, come on. My explosion at my parent's house wasn't enough of a hint?" I seethed.

"Look. I have never met you before in my entire life. I'm sorry for whatever I did that freaked you out, but right now I'd really love a Double Nasty Burger with extra Nasty Sauce!"

I glared intensely into his eyes and he returned my intensely angry gaze. _His eyes_. I realized. Daniel's blue eyes were lifeless and dull. But this boy's eyes were full of emotion and life, despite the identical coloring.

"You're not him." I whispered, mostly to myself.

"No kidding…" He replied with a slight chuckle.

"I am _**SO**_ sorry…"

"Danny. My name is Danny. And it's okay." He smiled. Sure, he wasn't the same person, but he had the same name? This was getting creepy.

"I'll get your burger right away. Is it for here or to go?" I started to head toward the grill where I could make a quick Double Nasty Burger for Danny.

"Here. Just so you can tell me all about why you flipped out at me before." He said with a smirk. Was he… flirting? I grilled up his burger quickly, not forgetting the extra Nasty Sauce he ordered. I turned off the grill and all the other machines in the back and left the kitchen.

"Your order, sir." I delivered it to his table and sat down. "It was unbelievably busy tonight." I sighed, leaning back in the booth.

"Wow. So… care to explain your freak-out before?" he asked.

"I come from a really… well-off… family. They were trying to force me into a marriage to a guy with a very wealthy and influential father. So I yelled at my parents and left. I can decide who I want to marry on my own. Now this is the creepy part. The guy they wanted me to marry also looks _exactly_ like you do. What's weirder: you both have the same name." Danny's eyes widened. "Yeah, I know. I knew it weren't him because…" I trailed off.

"Why?"

"It's kind of stupid." I blushed.

"Tell me!" he pressed.

"Okay, okay! It was your eyes, alright? You both have the same exact eye color, but his eyes were lifeless and dull and yours are bright and full of emotion, if that makes any sense to you." I explained sheepishly. He smiled at me.

"No, it makes perfect sense. That's really sweet." He told me after finishing up his burger.

"I gotta lock up. How was your burger?"

"Best I ever had." He was surprisingly nice considering our fight earlier.

"Why, thank you!" I laughed. "So I'll see you around sometime?" I asked as I locked the door.

"Sure thing. I didn't catch your name." he realized.

"Sam Manson." I smiled and we walked in opposite directions. I hadn't moved three feet when I felt a hand on my shoulder.

"Actually… do you want me to walk you home?" he asked me, his eyes full of concern. I nodded. Normally I would have said no. I don't like being babied because I know can handle myself. It's one of the main reasons I wear combat boots. But there was something about Danny that made me feel safer than I would have alone.

As we walked, we laughed at different things like Nasty Burger, my experience in Amity Park so far, and our families. I learned that his parents were ghost hunters and made crazy inventions every day. He also told me about his sister, a therapist, who was nosy and peppy, but always had his back. I described my family: my parents were overbearing and my sister and my grandma were the only normal ones. I'd trade my parents for his any day. We reached a quiet moment in our walk about halfway through. A white limousine sped past suddenly.

"Ugh, really? Who the heck in this town owns a limousine? Limos are for the obnoxious (i.e. my parents)." I hated the reminder of my parents.

"Probably the mayor." Danny spat. Obviously he didn't like the mayor too much.

"What's _your_ problem with the mayor?"

"Don't want to talk about it." I left it at that. I tried to take his mind off Mayor Mystery by talking about other things.

"So what do you do?"

"I study astronomy. Someday, I want to be an astronaut. I have a busy life, though. I usually help my parents with their experiments. Between you and me, I do a little ghost hunting on my own."

"That's really interesting. Maybe I could help out sometime. You know, it would really prove me as a Goth to work with actual ghosts."

"I suppose it would." He chuckled.

"Well, this is my stop." I said, standing in front of my apartment building. I took out a scrap of paper and scribbled my telephone number on it. "Call or text anytime. Thanks for walking me home, Danny." He returned my smile.

"I will." He assured me and began walking away, leaving me standing at the door. I pulled on the handle only to have the door remain closed. _Where in the world is the doorman?_ I dialed my cell phone and Val picked up. "Hello?"

"Val, I'm locked out of the building and the doorman isn't here. I need serious assistance."

"Ok I'm at the store right now, but I'm almost done shopping. I even got those little gummy bats you like!"

"Thanks so much Val!" I snapped my phone shut after I said the words.

"Samantha Manson? Is that you?" I heard a voice from behind me. I turned slowly and saw the white limo that drove past Danny and me on our walk. The window, which was opened a crack, lowered further to reveal the face of Vlad Masters. Of _course_ my day just _had_ to get worse.

"Uh, hi, Mr. Masters. I apologize for my little 'episode' back at my parents' house earlier, but–"

"Think nothing of it, dear Samantha. Pre-wedding jitters are incredibly common, especially in arranged marriages." He informed me, as if the wedding was still going to happen. He still thought I was going through with this.

"I'm sorry for the misunderstanding, Mr. Masters, but it appears as if you believe I'm going to go through with this." My voice was laced with a little more venom.

"Of course you are," his voice was more threatening this time. "Your parents and I have been working for months on this and Daniel is also looking forward to it. Why would you want to let all of us down Samantha?" Ah, so he was trying the guilt treatment…

"Because I'm an independent woman who doesn't need her husband handpicked for her. Wait a minute… why are you even here?" I retorted, losing more politeness.

"I am the mayor of this town, my dear, and tomorrow, at noon, I'll be announcing your betrothal to my son," he chuckled sinisterly, "to the entire world and return you to your parents afterward."

"Over my dead body!"

"We'll see." said Vlad as he rolled up his window and drove off in his stupid, white limo. With his last two words, shivers ran up my spine.

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><p><strong>So... lots of information in the first chap! <strong>

**Review!**

**Till next time,**

**TheNumberFour**


	2. Meeting the Phantom

**Hey everyone! I would like to thank everyone who reviewed for the warm welcomes and helpful hints. I'm glad everyone likes the story! Now... onto the second chapter!**

**Disclaimer: Still don't own Danny Phantom. If I did, it wouldn't have ended the way it did. Wait, scratch that; it wouldn't have ended at all.**

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><p>Not two seconds later, Valerie drove up in her red Toyota Prius.<p>

"Whoa, you look like you've seen a ghost!" she glowered slightly and her forest green eyes darkened as she said the word ghost, but I thought nothing of it.

"No, it's just a little chilly tonight."

"What are you talking about? It's 79–"

"Let's just unload the bags. I'll tell you when we get upstairs." I cut her off. We got to our floor and Valerie unlocked the apartment. I dropped my bags on the coffee table and curled up on the couch.

"Ok, what happened while you were waiting for me?" she asked after handing me my favorite snack, little gummy bats, which I promptly began to munch on. The chewy candies brightened my mood just a little bit.

"I ran into the one who has been causing me an enormous amount of pain and stress for the second time today. His private jet must be extremely fast…" I got a little sidetracked, thinking about how the evil man tracked me down so quickly. "Anyways, Vlad Masters found me. Why didn't you tell me he was the mayor?" I asked frantically.

"I was trying to before you left!" she defended herself, shrugging her shoulders. I realized she was right and apologized.

"Sorry Val, it's just that he's going to announce my engagement to his son tomorrow, when I have absolutely no intention of going through with it!" I my voice rose to a shrill scream. Valerie's expression transformed from horrified to thoughtful.

"What?" I asked. "What are you thinking?"

"I think I can get you out of this. I can pull a few strings." She grinned deviously.

"Val, normally it's against a Goth's beliefs to show any affection or emotion of the sort, but I must do one thing." I stood up, wrapped my arms around Valerie's neck and squeezed her tightly, hopping up and down and nearly strangling her.

"THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU, MY BEST FRIEND IN THE ENTIRE WORLD!"

I then released her and sat back down, acting as if nothing happened. Val attempted to catch her breath after I practically crushed her windpipe with my hug.

"Anytime, Sam. So how was work?" She tried to take my mind off the subject.

"Incredibly busy, but then it got a lot better." I informed her and smiled slightly, thinking of those blue eyes that brightened my day. Her eyes widened.

"I can't believe it… I _know_ that look! There's a guy!" She squealed in delight. "All throughout college you refused to even _look_ at a guy. Who is he?" Valerie had set me up on numerous blind dates during our years at college. Every time, the guy she picked out was usually an annoying, arrogant jerk who I either drove away or was driven away by.

"A guy? There's no guy. I didn't say anything about the guy…" I fumbled over my words.

"HA! You said 'the'! Meaning there was a guy! So I repeat: Who. Is. He?" she interrogated me with as much intensity as a detectives on one of those cop dramas, slapping her hands on the lumpy couch cushion that separated us for emphasis.

"Alright. His name is Danny. You know what's weird? He looks EXACTLY like Daniel Masters." I left out how I had snapped at Danny because I mistook him for my unwanted "fiancée."

"You know, I haven't seen Daniel. Vlad has never lets his son out in public. I honestly don't even know how he has a son. He doesn't have a wife." Valerie pondered the idea.

"I don't know, adoption? Anyway, the guy I met has black hair and bright blue eyes. He's not incredibly muscular, but he's cute, I can tell you that."

"Danny Fenton? He's one of my best friends!" So that's his last name…

"Does Danny Fenton have ghost-hunting parents?"

"Sure do! Good choice, by the way. If you want to choose a great guy, choose Danny. He's one of the most dependable guys I know, excluding the fact that he's always running off somewhere. I hope this statement doesn't make things awkward, but I used to go out with him in middle school. Now I sort of like his best friend, Tucker. Back then, Tucker was a geek with oversized glasses and an unhealthy obsession with technology and I was in the popular crowd for a short time. Now he's successful and much better looking and his tech obsession thing has kind of grown on me…" She trailed off thoughtfully and the corners of her mouth turned up a little.

I nodded my head, thinking that Valerie's little crush story was adorable before my inner Goth neutralized my stupid, girlish thoughts.

"So… What is it that you have planned tomorrow?"

"I know people that can… whip up a little chaos. That's all I'm telling you!" she ran off to her bedroom, her long, brown curls bouncing behind her, and poked her head out one last time to say goodnight. I smiled and returned her wishes of sweet dreams then retreated to my own bedroom. I changed into my pajamas and snuggled under my purple and black sheets. As I was just about to fall into a deep slumber, I saw a bright flash of greenish tinged light outside my window. _What in the world…?_ It wasn't lightning. Outside, there was a giant, metal monster with a neon green, flaming Mohawk and an arsenal of guns, lasers, and missiles pointed directly at an unseen target.

I backed slowly away from the window, hoping the thing didn't see me and direct his armory at me. What was this beast? My curiosity forced me to peek out the window again. The only thing separating the evil, grinning face from my own was a pane of glass. I gasped and hid in the closet, but a cold, steel hand reached _through_ the door and grabbed my wrist. It dragged me out of the house, dangling me in the air.

"What do you want with me?" Apparently the robot didn't hear me.

"If you surrender to me, ghost boy, this innocent girl will be spared." His gravelly, metallic voice rumbled. _Ghost boy?_ I turned my head away from the robotic monster and looked at his target.

A boy with white hair, green eyes, and a black and white jumpsuit floated across from me. I had heard rumors about the ghostly hero who protected the town and decided this must be him. The most puzzling thing, though, was that he regarded me as if he recognized me from somewhere. His electric green gaze sparked with

"Let her go, Skulker! Don't drag her into this." The boy replied, clenching his fists and baring his teeth with a scowl.

"Are you sure you want me to let go?" Skulker loosened his grip on me, making me inch closer and closer to the ground, which was at least one hundred feet below. I whimpered. Then again, if I fell, the ghost boy could save me more easily. This Skulker character wasn't too bright, was he?

"Go ahead. Drop me." I said in a monotone, feigning a yawn. The boy's glowing eyes widened, as if he was surprised that I actually wanted to be dropped. I tried to convey my point to the ghostly boy."You heard me. Don't you know? Goths bounce. And I doubt this guy will be giving in to your oh-so-polite request." I jerked my thumb in the direction of the ghost boy. Skulker considered my statement and tossed me aside like a rag doll. The ghost boy took action, catching me in midair in a split second and setting me on the sidewalk.

"Skulker's not too bright." I stated the fact out loud.

"Tell me about it." He muttered before he flew off to finish his battle. I noticed a small, cylindrical contraption lying next to the curb where the boy once stood. Was that a thermos?

"Uh, you dropped…" I stopped. He didn't hear me, and anyway, what would he do with a thermos in battle? Force Skulker to eat soup? I examined the device. It didn't look like an ordinary thermos. It had a button on the side and, when I unscrewed the cap, I could see intricate electrical wiring inside. When I pressed the button, a beam of light erupted from the opening. I pointed the beam at Skulker, getting the feeling that I knew what was going to happen. As I predicted, Skulker was sucked into the thermos.

"Nice aim." The ghost boy complimented me. "How did you figure out what it did?"

"I deduced that it wasn't for soup, uncapped it, pushed the button, and completely winged it." I confessed. He opened his palm, obviously wanting me to hand over the thermos. I obliged, placing the thermos in his hand.

"So you're a superhero?"

"If you want to call it that. I prefer the term 'protector of the city'." He responded, pretending to be manly and flexing his muscles.

"I'll just stick to calling you a superhero. Anyway, thanks for saving me." I said gratefully and smiled tiredly, running a hand through my pin-straight raven hair,"What's your name?" He seemed surprised at this question, considering the fact that everyone in town knew who he was.

"Danny Phantom. Do you need a lift back up to your room?" _ANOTHER_ Danny? This day could not be weirder.

"Yes please." I answered. He lifted me into his arms and shot up into the air, stopping at my room. My heart began racing as soon as he wrapped around me. Oh, no... what is happening to me? I tried my hardest to shake the uncharacteristic thoughts out of my mind. He phased through the wall and set me down on my feet.

"Thanks again." I said groggily with a yawn. "Good night."

"Night." I heard the whisper come from the darkness.

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><p>The next morning, I was lounging on the couch. It was my day off from Nasty Burger. Valerie emerged from her room and sat down beside me.<p>

"Morning, Sleeping Beauty." I chuckled at Valerie, who, despite the mass of tangled curls piled on her head, had a very excited expression on her face.

"Why are you so happy?"

"The town meeting is in an hour and my plan will be a complete success." She smiled mischievously and rubbed her hands together. I was looking forward to that as well. I heard a knock on the door.

"I'll get it." I opened the door, and a team of people burst into the apartment, followed by my family.

"How did you find me?" I shrieked.

"Mr. Masters called last night and said he ran into you. Imagine that! You moved to _his_ town!" my mother squealed in delight. "Now we need to get you ready for the announcement!"

"Ok," I began, feigning excitement, "I just have a few things to say… The only one allowed to stay in this apartment is Grandma. The rest of you, out. Now." My father was appalled and my mother was incensed.

"Samantha, I refuse to be thrown out of this apartment by my own daughter." My father finally decided to step in before my mother had the chance.

"Alright. Shall I revisit the past for a moment? Remember when I was 14 and I dyed all of my frilly, pink dresses black and you grounded me for 2 months? When I asked why, you said, quote unquote, 'My house, my rules.'" I recalled the moment from the past. "This happens to be _my _house now. I believe you have to follow _my_ rules. Here's the door. Get out." I ordered through clenched teeth. My parents' eyes were full of fear as they scrambled out the door. Mine were full of satisfaction while I shut and locked it. I turned to Gran.

"You know I'm not going through with this, right?"

"Of course, girlie." Gran reassured me. "Are you planning on getting out of the announcement?"

"Yeah. My best friend Valerie is organizing a bit of chaos. She won't tell me exactly what, but I trust her." I grinned. Gran patted my back and smiled.

"In the meantime, I want to make myself the Nightmare Bride: the woman that NO wealthy person would want their son to marry. Just in case Valerie's plan fails." I laughed deviously while Gran shook her head with a smirk on her face.

"Now, now, dear. I agree with you wholeheartedly, and my parents put me in the same position when I was your age, but maybe you should just give it a chance! I did, and that's how I fell in love with your grandfather." There was Gran, ever the diplomat. Although her neutrality irritated me sometimes, it gave me a lot of respect for her.

"Listen. I can tell a lot about people just by looking at them. Just don't give me the 'Don't judge a book by its cover' lecture. I looked into Daniel Masters' eyes and saw no trace of emotion. I want a man who's exciting; who knows what it's like to be an outsider. Someone who has enough guts to ask _me_ for my hand instead of having his daddy do it for him." I sat on the couch and stared off dreamily, trying to imagine a man who would fit the description. For some reason, my mind continued to drift to Danny Fenton. But why? I was _not_ shallow; I had always stuck firmly to the belief that the personality was the most important trait a person could possess. I barely knew Danny Fenton!

I retreated to my room, finding all the supplies I would need to make myself look as rebellious as possible. I laid out my arsenal: various brands of eyeliner, a pale shade of foundation, my false fangs (I used them for costume parties or theatrical poetry night at the Skulk n' Lurk), and an array of colorful, clip-on hair extensions. I clipped each extension into my hair. Then I brushed three coats of foundation over my skin, effectively making me paler than a normal human being. My eyeliner was thick; it was layered on so heavily, that raccoons would be jealous. The final touch to my face was my fake fangs. I once wore them for a stupid beauty pageant my school was hosting (to make a statement). I debated on wearing my blood-red contacts, but those scared even _me_ a little bit, especially when coupled with my fangs. I decided to wear them. It completed the whole look.

The next step was my outfit. I chose my most baggy, ripped up pair of jeans, and a t-shirt with the words, "GET OUTTA MY FACE" all over it in big, bold letters. I checked myself out in the mirror and grinned. My parents have never seen me like this. I chuckled at the thought of their reactions.

I left my room and sat on the couch, smirking at Valerie and Gran.

"Sweet backup plan." Val approved of my outfit. "My plan WILL work, though."

I high-fived her. Gran didn't say a word. She just chuckled under her breath. She was usually the mediator in fights between me and my parents, but she has admitted to me that she also adores messing with them. Once, my parents were worried I was "corrupting" her when they saw a commercial for Circus Gothica, an event I had bought tickets for against Mom and Dad's wishes. Grandma imitated the commercial in a creepy voice, thus freaking out my parents more.

"Now all I have to do is arrive a bit late, so my parents can't make any attempts to 'fix' me." I resolved. It was 11:45 when Val left to put her own plan into action. Five minutes later, I put my hood over my head and walked out to my car with Gran in tow. I found my way to town hall, a large building which currently had a crowd gathered in front of it, and climbed the top step in front of the door where my parents and Vlad were waiting. One member of the audience stood out: a big man in an orange spandex jumpsuit was cheering madly for Vlad while a brunette with short hair and violet eyes (not unlike my own), who also wore a blue spandex jumpsuit brought her hand to her forehead. A younger, redheaded girl mimicked the older woman's movements. I giggled because of the people I saw and continued to walk up the stairs. It was 11:59 when I arrived. _Perfect_.

"SAMANTHA! We have been waiting a half an hour for you!" she pulled my hood off my head. _This was it!_

I smiled and opened my eyes as my mother reeled back in horror. The crowd broke into furious whispers. _Who is the girl? _Even Vlad gasped, though he soon regained his composure. His smile was tight and I could detect a trace of anger in his eyes.

Mother shoved me behind her, but I pushed my way back to the front, grinning at the crowd.

"I would like to (reluctantly)," he muttered the word, "introduce you to the–"

"GET BACK HERE GHOST BOY!" a voice yelled. To my surprise, it sounded eerily like… Valerie! So this was her plan! The boy who had saved me last night, Danny Phantom, came barreling around the corner, flying at a speed that had to be over 112 miles per hour. I assumed that it was Valerie behind him. A feminine figure wearing a red jumpsuit raced after him on a jet sled, furiously firing lasers. The couple in jumpsuits sprung into action. The woman was firing neat, accurate shots at the ghost boy, like Valerie, though he evaded every single one. The man, on the other hand, fired wildly, beams of light going every which way; toward town hall, above the crowd, and even at the ground. The crowd screamed and scattered. Vlad's hands were clenched into fists.

"Excuse me." he muttered and entered town hall. A moment later, another ghost arrived. This one was wearing a white jumpsuit with black gloves and boots. His outfit also included a white cape lined with red. His eyes were crimson, similar to my contacts, but had no pupils, and his skin was so pale it was a light blue hue, as if he were deprived of air. He had black hair, styled into two points on either side of his head. His jaw was stiff, his teeth, which included a set of pearly white fangs, were clenched in a frown. Something in the back of my mind told me to avoid this guy.

My family took refuge in the town hall, and every other human (save for Valerie and the two ghost fighters, who I deduced to be the Fentons) but I remained. I hid, but I continued to watch the battle.

Two pink blasts, one from Valerie's gun, and one from the vampire-like ghost's hand, struck the ghost boy, forcing him back. He hurtled in my direction and landed on the ground, five feet from the column I was hiding behind.

"First Valerie attacks me for no reason, now Plasmius joins the party? Swell." His sarcasm echoed against the stone steps of town hall. He had given me two pieces of information that satisfied my curiosity; he gave me the ghost's name, and reassured me that the girl in the red jumpsuit was Val. Speaking of Val; she turned on Plasmius and shot a few blasts at him.

"I'm not the ghost you should be messing with girl!" his hiss was loud enough to hear from my hiding spot.

"I mess with any ghost!" she replied boldly. I now remembered why we were best friends. We were both incredibly stubborn and headstrong.

"Have it your way!" Plasmius responded, racing toward Valerie. He was intercepted by Phantom, who pushed Plasmius in another direction. Vlad tried to attack Valerie another way; he duplicated himself. One Plasmius went after Val while the other continued to fight Danny Phantom. I decided to take action. There was no way Val could fight off an attack of this magnitude. I picked up a large chunk of rubble and threw it at Plasmius.

Evidently, he wasn't expecting my contribution to the battle. The rock made impact with his skull. His form flickered then vanished with a shriek.

The original Plasmius, sensing the absorption of his duplicate back into his body, knocked Phantom aside and stared at me, baring his fangs. I bared my own fangs right back. Phantom flew near Valerie, and by his hand gestures, I assumed he was trying to team up with her to take Plasmius down.

"Fine," I heard her say, "but this won't last long." Just as she said that, Plasmius started to fly directly at me. Valerie raced down at light speed and lifted me onto her jet sled.

"So where'd you get all this stuff, Val?" I smirked at my friend, though she was concentrating on flying and couldn't see my expression.

"How did you figure out it was me?"

"I'd know your screaming anywhere." I said with a laugh. She shrugged and handed me a blaster.

"You have great aim. Use it wisely."

"Thank you, sifu Valerie." I mocked a bow. We were back-to-back, firing shots at Plasmius. All of a sudden, when I stepped to the side to get a better angle on the malevolent specter, I lost my balance on the sled and plummeted toward the ground.

Phantom swooped down and rescued me before I hit the pavement, much like he had when Skulker dropped me.

"We have to stop meeting like this." I laughed. He cracked a small smile and set me on a nearby rooftop.

"Stay hidden." He ordered me and raced off back to the battle. I growled. Like heck I would! I perched myself on the ledge of the building and continued to shoot at the ghost.

After being attacked from three different directions, Plasmius knew that he was outnumbered and decided to make his exit.

"You pathetic brats! Don't expect to win so easily next time!" He vanished with a puff of pink smoke. I sighed in relief then stifled a giggle. A _male _villain with pink energy? Come on, that's pretty funny.

Val's jet sled floated toward me.

"Hop on. We're going home." She offered her hand to me and I took it, allowing her to pull me aboard. She sailed through the air and landed on the roof of our apartment building.

"You have a lot of explaining to do." I tapped my foot while giving her a stern look. Her suit retracted into her backpack and she rolled her eyes at me.

"Fine, when we get back to the apartment." We entered the apartment via the rooftop door then walked to our apartment. We both toppled over on the couch.

"Alright. Explain." I motioned for her to begin talking.

"My father used to work at Axion Labs, a science lab in Amity Park. One day, a ghost dog started to attack the factory. Danny Phantom began to show up along with it. It caused my dad to be fired. Our family went broke. We struggled to make ends meet. It didn't help that Danny Phantom continued to show up and cause problems for us, even after my dad got fired. Then I found a mysterious package full of ghost-hunting equipment. From that day on, I vowed to destroy Danny Phantom, the ghost who ruined my life, and any other ghost that crossed my path. You cannot repeat this to ANYONE. Especially Danny. His parents would hate to know I was the girl that swooped in and beat the ghost before they did." Valerie confessed in a rush, her words tumbling out like river rapids. Obviously it hurt her to talk about the events that ruined her life. I felt just a little guilty for making her tell me the story.

"Wow. I kind of understand why you feel that way toward Phantom. Don't you think you're treating him a bit harshly? Maybe he was trying to stop the dog from attacking." I suggested.

"The dog looked at him like he was its master! It obeyed him… for the most part…" She trailed off, lost in thought. I decided to leave her alone for a while, so I retreated to my room and removed my makeup, contacts, and fangs, then resolved to go for a walk and let the calming evening air soothe my nerves.

"I'm going for a walk, Val. And by the way, thanks a lot." I smiled and shut the door behind me.

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><p><strong>Danny Phantom has officially arrived (as have Vlad Plasmius, the Red Huntress, and Skulker). Sam's plan was inspired by "Beauty Marked." Remember those fangs? And you may think Sam is stupid for going outside again, but don't worry, she's taken precautions.<strong>

**-TheNumberFour**


	3. A New Plan

**Oh hey, everyone! Thank you all for your feedback on the last chapter! I'll answer some questions now:**

** swiftie13: Valerie's plan in the last chapter was to ruin the press conference. She tracked down Danny Phantom and chased him to the town hall in order to wreak havoc.**

**SmileyFace: I hope this chapter answers your question!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Danny Phantom *sadness powers activate***

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><p>As soon I set foot on the sidewalk, I was glad I remembered to wear my extra large hoodie. I wouldn't want to be recognized by anyone in the town. After the battle over city hall had ended, everyone went back outside to check for damage.<p>

A while later, Val called my cell.

"Sam, you need to get back home. Your parents keep calling. The phone has been ringing off the hook! It's driving me insane!" She complained. I should have seen this coming.

"Hold on, I'm on my way." I sighed angrily and began to jog towards my apartment building. Not three seconds after I let myself into the apartment, a furiously blaring cordless phone was shoved into my surprised hands. Val glowered at me. "Answer it before I find your parents and blast them." She hissed.

"Please don't tease me like that. We both know that would make dreams come true." She rolled her eyes at my response while I pressed the 'TALK' button.

"SAMANTHA MANSON! I CANNOT BELIEVE YOUR DEPLORABLE BEHAVIOR. I AM INCREDIBLY ASHAMED OF YOU. HOW DARE YOU HUMILIATE US IN FRONT OF THE ENTIRE TOWN? HOW DARE YOU HUMILIATE YOUR FUTURE FATHER-IN-LAW, THE _MAYOR OF SAID TOWN_? YOU HAVE PUT MY PERFECT WEDDING PLANS IN JEOPARDY! HE'S TOLD ME THAT HE'S GOING TO GIVE YOU A SECOND CHANCE! YOU BETTER THANK YOUR LUCKY STARS THAT MR. MASTERS IS SUCH A FORGIVING MAN!" I didn't even need to put the phone on speaker mode. My mother's screaming was that loud. "YOU NEED TO APOLOGIZE TO US _AND_ MR. MASTERS! YOUR BEHAVIOR WAS ATROCIOUS! MR. MASTERS IS FORTUNATE THAT THE CHAOS BROKE OUT WHEN IT DID! IT DISTRACTED THE CROWD FROM YOUR HIDEOUS, DEMONIC MAKEOVER!" My hysterical and redundant mother continued to rant on and on in this manner until she ran out of breath. At that point, I broke in.

"Mother, I refuse to get married to a man I barely know. When I do get married, it will be someone I love. Certainly not someone _you_, of all people, choose for me." I spoke seriously and calmly into the receiver. Mom's voice became eerily quiet.

"You will marry Daniel Masters. We have worked too hard on this. So help me, I will keep you under house arrest if you continue to act like a child. From now on, _I_ will coordinate your outfits and makeup for important press conferences."

"Like heck you will." I growled. From a young age, I had refused to wear any of the frilly, ridiculous outfits she filled my closets with. I wasn't about to give in to her now.

"That's just too bad, Samantha. Act your age. Be at the town hall at 6:00 sharp tomorrow evening for the press conference. After that, we will be going to dinner at Mr. Masters' mansion, where you can apologize for your behavior. If you don't show, I will have _him_ retrieve you, because all of my employees seem to have a soft spot for you. Goodbye." I pressed 'END' and slammed the phone down on its cradle.

"Ok. I give you permission to blast my mother to pieces. She's forcing me to go make up the press conference tomorrow. If I don't, she'll have Vlad and his employees come after me. My family's workers hate her because she orders them around like a slave driver. Basically everyone in my house has the same opinion of her; even Dad. Dad's just too scared of her to take control of the household. That's the main reason I don't like him. I wish he'd just grow some –" I was starting to lose my breath ranting about my awful family when Valerie interrupted me.

"Slow down, girl. You're rambling. I have no idea what to do in this situation. It's possible to avoid, but I can't –" she was cut off by a knock on the door.

"Check through the peephole first." I instructed her warily.

"It's only Tucker… and _Danny._" She winked. I sat on the couch facing away from the door, pretending to engross myself in television. The news was covering the battle earlier today.

"Hey Tuck, Hi Danny. Come on in."

"Who's this?" Tucker gestured to me. I stood up and walked over to stand next to Valerie.

"This is –"

"Sam Manson. I'm Valerie's roommate." I introduced myself. Danny looked as if he were about to speak, but Tucker took my hand and kissed it.

"Pleased to make your acquaintance. I'm Tucker Foley. T.F. for 'Too Fine'." He smirked putting his arm around my shoulders. Oh God, not one of _these_ guys…

"Nice try," I stifled my laughter, as did Danny and Val, though Val looked a tad jealous, "but I'm allergic to cheesy pickup lines." Danny stepped in front of Tucker.

"I believe we already met." He grinned crookedly and shook my hand.

"Nice to see you again." I returned the smile.

"Dude, this is…? Oof!" Tucker trailed off just as Danny elbowed him in the side.

"So what's going on?" Danny changed the subject.

"Well I'm deaf in one ear from my mother's shrill rant. Were you guys there at the town hall press conference today?"

"Unfortunately. Wasn't planning on going." Danny muttered while Tuck nodded alongside him. As I thought about it more I realized that I didn't see Danny in the crowd with those people I believed to be his family. I decided to ignore my realization.

"I was the demon girl…" I admitted.

"Whoa! That was you? Impressive makeup skills." Tucker said in awe.

"The truth is, Vlad was going to make an announcement… about me. I don't care to go into specifics. When Danny Phantom and the… Red Huntress appeared the press conference was ruined. It's rescheduled for tomorrow, but my mother is in charge of my wardrobe and makeup. _I_ want to skip the whole thing. They don't want to make the announcement without me (though it's ok that the other boring kid doesn't show…). The problem is that if I don't show up at exactly 6:00, they're going to come get me. And she's using Vlad's employees to track me down, not her own. There's no way to escape it." I sat down on the couch. I don't usually give up without a fight, but this time… it was different. My mother and father and _Vlad _had backed me into a corner.

"Figures. Vlad's employees will definitely find you. He claims he employs 'only the best'. I disrespectfully disagree, for reasons I'd rather not reveal." Danny scoffed. Knowing that I'd definitely get caught didn't make me feel better at all.

"You seem like you've known Vlad for some time. Do you have any way to get out of it?" I asked Danny, partly pleading. If you knew me, you'd know that I never begged _anyone_ for _anything_. Danny shot a glance at Tucker that I couldn't read. What were they up to?

"Hey Val, can I have a drink?" Suddenly Tucker obnoxiously interrupted the conversation. I glared, as did Valerie.

"Tucker, you know where the cups are. You know where I keep the drinks. Go. Get. It. Yourself." Val gritted her teeth. Evidently, Tucker did this a lot.

"I forgot!" Tucker whined, giving her puppy dog eyes. Val huffed and left with Tucker to get a drink.

"Listen. I can't say this in front of Val because pretty much everyone in the town knows her secret. It's pretty obvious when you think about it. Back to the point. I know Danny Phantom. I could have him spend a day hiding you. You know you have to deal with major safety risks, but I promise, Phantom will keep you safe." I threw my arms around Danny.

"Oh my God, thank you so much! I could care less about safety risks. As long as I can avoid a mandatory press conference, I'm perfectly happy." I released my new friend then blushed a little, and when I looked back over at him, I could see his cheeks reddening a bit.

"I'll tell him to pick you up at 5:30. Wait out on your roof." Danny whispered as he heard the sound of stomping footsteps coming from down the hall. Val reentered the room, fuming.

"I can't believe you're so picky. There have to be _four_ ice cubes? You _need_ a _purple_ bendy straw? You NEED a lemon wedge with exactly 4 seeds? _Your water has to be 40 degrees?_" her voice raised with every rhetorical question. "How do you live with this, Danny?"

"Simple: I have the power to say no to Tucker's puppy dog eyes." Danny explained with a shrug.

Tucker then turned to me.

"Sam," his eyes widened a bit and his lip jutted out slightly, "will _you_ make my special drink for me?" I looked directly in his eyes, proving to everyone that I was immune to his gaze.

"Nah." I looked down with a look of boredom, examining my fingernails.

"B-b-but –" Tucker stuttered in disbelief.

"I can't stand the puppy dog face." I explained, smirking.

"You guys need to give me lessons." Val addressed me and Danny. I held my knuckle out to Danny for a fist pound, which he returned. All of a sudden, Danny hiccupped blue mist. Val didn't notice, and I pretended I didn't see a thing. He took out his phone.

"I have to go. Mom needs me for some… heavy lifting. See you guys!" he and Tucker dashed out of the apartment.

"That's Danny. He's always racing off somewhere…" Val told me. I pondered this and stored the information in the back of my mind.

We watched television for a couple of hours. When my eyes started to droop, I excused myself to go to bed. I turned off the light and began to contemplate Danny Fenton and ended up creating a short list of the characteristics and behaviors that piqued my curiosity.

-His name sounds like "Danny Phantom".

-Although he says he was at the town hall, I didn't see him.

-He leaves places early and always rushes off somewhere.

-He's close friends with Danny Phantom, even though his parents, ghost hunters out for Danny Phantom's head, could possibly find out.

-Phantom never seems to stick around long and he's probably insanely busy fighting crime. How does he have time for friends?

-I saw him breathe blue mist before he ran off.

_Danny Fenton is one mysterious boy_, I thought before I snuggled under the covers and drifted off to sleep.

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><p><strong>This chapter is a little shorter than the rest, but next chapter is more exciting. <strong>

**Remember to review! Me luvz da feedbackk (It's incredibly painful to type that way.)**

**-TheNumberFour**


	4. An Evening With the Phantom

**Hey guys! I'm back! Still feeling way depressed, but writing makes me feel loads better, so I won't be away from FanFiction as long as I anticipated. Thank you for your prayers and support. **

**In other business, I am wondering whether I should upload some other stories I've been working on for a while. Leave a comment with the one you'd be most interested in reading:**

**Road Trip: The Fentons, Sam, and Tucker take a cross-country road trip. Problem is: Vlad's tagging along. When Danny's parents are stolen by an old evil with a mysterious connection to Vlad, the gang must team up with Vlad to get them back. *Note* This story isn't incredibly developed, and I just have a little writer's block, so assistance would be needed.**

**My Unnamed Danny Phantom-Harry Potter crossover: Danny, Sam, Tucker, and Jazz are sent to Hogwarts after their town is attacked by Death Eaters. *Note* This story is my latest idea (the plot bunnies attacked!) and therefore is the least developed, so I need just a little help on it too. **

**My Unnamed Teen Titans-Danny Phantom crossover: Danny and his friends and family travel to Jump City (the city where Teen Titans takes place for those who didn't know) for a Ghost Hunting convention. They meet up with the Teen Titans and discover they are after Danny Phantom, who they believe to be a criminal (due to the claims of one certain half-ghost billionaire who has also found a new ally in the Titans' home city). *Note* This is actually the first story I have ever written. The problem is that I have some serious writing block on it.**

**Alrighty, on to the story!**

**I would like to inform the readers that this chapter was partly inspired by my trip to the carnival about a year ago (when I actually wrote the chapter) and partly inspired by WingsOfMorphius' "Gender Confusion: Saga of Sam/Doctrine of Danny" stories. When I was thinking of a disguise for Danny, something like "Tom Phan's" outfit kept popping into my mind.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Danny Phantom... or any of the amusement park rides I mentioned... or any of the songs I mentioned... **

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><p>The next day, I woke up at 8:30, showered, and ate a quick, but filling, breakfast of cereal and toast. I dashed to my room and dressed in my usual black, purple, and green miniskirt, purple leggings, black cropped tank top, and combat boots. I then moved on to the bathroom, brushed my teeth, applied purple eye shadow and black eyeliner, and smeared my favorite purple lipstick on my lips. Next, I brushed and straightened my black hair and put a small portion of it up in a little ponytail on the top of my head with a green hair elastic, finishing my usual hairdo.<p>

When I finished getting ready I made sure I had money in my purse, along with an emergency hat and sunglasses (just in case I was recognized). I sat down on the couch to catch my breath. It was 9:15. That was the fastest I've ever gotten ready for anything. I guess I'm a little eager to spend a night with a superhero.

"You're up early." Val remarked from behind me, already dressed in her Nasty Burger Guy costume. (She had a good reason to hate her job more than I hated mine.)

"Just getting a head start on avoiding being captured by the enemy." Technically it wasn't a lie. I held up my hat and sunglasses.

"Wow. That'll fool anyone." She chuckled sarcastically, mocking my choice of disguise. I laughed inwardly, knowing that the pathetic hat and sunglasses weren't my actual plan.

"Ugh. I know it's not my best, but hopefully, it'll work."

"If you really want to avoid them, you'd wear pink. That's something no one would expect from you." She suggested.

"Thanks but no. I'm trying to _avoid_ wearing pink. The best way to do that is to NOT wear pink, Val." I rolled my eyes and stuck out my tongue as I shot down her awful idea.

"Whatever. I wish you luck."

"If they ask you anything, tell them I went to… to my parents' beach house in California." I fabricated a somewhat realistic alibi just to be safe.

"Yeah, like they're going to come ask me. I doubt they know where I work." Val said nonchalantly.

"Don't doubt the wealthy. They're all insane." I warned her as she shut the door behind her.

I napped on the couch all day. The alarm on my phone woke me up at 5:00. I touched up my makeup and hair and walked out the door. I raced up to the roof to find Phantom waiting for me there. He was 10 minutes early.

"It's only 5:20. Someone's a little eager." I teased. A thought came to my mind as I glanced at the superhero in his monochromatic spandex jumpsuit.

"Don't you think you're a _little_ conspicuous?" I asked, referring to his white and black jumpsuit and pure white hair.

"This is what I always wear." He frowned and defended himself.

"Exactly. You're a superhero. You're going to attract crazed fans, paparazzi, or one of your enemies! And even I know you can't hold invisibility forever. You'll waste a huge amount of energy." He considered this.

"You're right. Let me stop and… borrow some clothes from a friend." He lifted me up and flew invisibly to an ordinary looking brownstone; at least, it looked ordinary until I saw the metal equipment on the roof and the neon Fenton Works sign.

"Danny's one of my best friends," I saw him chuckle under his breath, "and I'm sure he won't mind me using some clothes ne never uses." He phased us into Danny's room.

"Alright… let's see." he rifled through Danny's closet and pulled out a black t-shirt, some baggy jeans, and a pair of white skate shoes. He grabbed some sunglasses and a black fitted baseball hat off of Danny's dresser. I promised I wouldn't peek and squeezed my eyes shut as Phantom changed into the clothes he had picked out.

"You can turn around now." He informed me. I had to admit, he looked better than he did in his jumpsuit. He wore the baseball cap backwards, and it covered his head nicely, though some of the shaggy, white hair peeked out from underneath. The sunglasses masked his glowing green eyes as well.

"You look great. Now let's go. The last thing we need is Danny to burst in and find us stealing his clothes." I worried a little.

"Somehow I don't think that's a problem." He chuckled and shook his head at some joke I didn't understand.

"…Okay, well there are his parents." I pointed out.

"Good point." He agreed, grabbed my hand, turned both of us invisible and phased us back out. We landed on the sidewalk and began walking.

"So… what do you want to do?" he asked, breaking the awkward silence.

"I heard there's a carnival on the boardwalk. That could be fun." I suggested.

"Sounds like a plan!" he nodded. I glanced at my watch.

"It's 6:05! I can't be out on the streets! Anyone can spot me here!" I worried. Normally, I wouldn't worry, but this time, my mom's threat seemed pretty serious. He grabbed my hand and went invisible. I sighed in relief.

"I'm insanely glad you're a ghost." I giggled. We walked a bit more. The boardwalk wasn't far away.

"Wahoo! We're almost there!" I cheered.

"Ditching your parents can be exciting, huh?" he smirked at my giddiness.

"Yeah. And it's also great ditching Professor Ponytail. What is he, like 40? And his hair is already gray?" he laughed along with me. When we arrived, we hid behind trash cans in order to become visible again without blowing Phantom's cover.

I scanned the carnival. They had a typical Ferris wheel, a carousel, kiddy rides, and then the more exciting rides, like the Avalanche, the Sizzler, Scat, and a bunch of other rides that I planned to ride more than twice. I saw various game booths and food stands. There was music blasting throughout the place. We both stood in line to get wristbands. After we both snapped the $20 neon green wristbands on our wrists, I dragged Phantom to the Avalanche, the ride with a row of seats attached to an arm that moved the row around clockwise and counterclockwise.

"That was fun! I used to go on this one all the time when I was little. Things were so simple then." Phantom said as soon as the ride was over. Something occurred to me: exactly how old was Phantom? Did he die recently? He must have if he's ridden this ride in his youth. It was pretty new.

"Me too. Things were a lot simpler then. As soon as my grandpa, my Gran's husband, died, his money was passed to my dad, and my family changed forever." The thought of the old days depressed me. "My parents started to care about their image a whole lot more and about me a whole lot less." I realized who I was droning on about and gasped, "What am I saying? I shouldn't think of them. I'm here to have fun." I shook all thoughts of my parents out of my head. We went to Scat next, that spinney ride that pushes you flat against the wall.

"My face feels so weird!" I half-yelled/half-laughed to Phantom, who was right beside me. He chuckled. When we got off the ride, he whispered, "When you fly at 200 miles per hour, you get used to that feeling." I laughed at this.

"True. Let's go on the Sizzler next!" I grabbed his hand and stood in line for the ride, which whipped you around, and crushed you against the side of the ride. Painful, but fun. We sat in seat number four. Phantom offered to sit on the outside, just so I wouldn't be crushed.

"What a gentleman!" I took his outstretched hand and he helped me into the seat.

"Who said chivalry was dead?" he smiled. The ride started up and soon, we were squished together. _Thank you, physics, _I thought to myself. Wait, why was I thanking physics? I didn't _like_ Phantom that way… did I? I admitted to myself that I felt just a little tingly when we held hands and butterflies began to flutter around in my stomach, as girly as that sounded. But I had barely gotten to know him! What kind of girl was I, crushing on a boy I had just met? At that thought, Danny Fenton's name was brought to my mind.

"Sorry!" I apologized, attempting to move to the other side of the seat, but the ride whipped around again and I quickly slid and slammed against him again. I blushed madly. He laughed, but I could detect a hint of nervousness. After the ride stopped we resolved to get some food.

"Ghosts eat?" I was curious.

"Most don't, but I do. I _love_ to eat." He bought two corndogs, one for him and one for me.

"I'm really sorry, but I'm ultra-recyclo-vegetarian. I don't eat anything with a face on it." I politely declined the corndog.

"That's ok. More for me. Now let's find something that you like." He craned his neck to find a stand that sold something without meat.

"Okay… there's fried dough! Let's get you some of that." He resolved. I offered to pay, but he wouldn't let me.

"Come on, let me pay! I can take care of myself." I started to get a bit angry.

"Just trying to be a gentleman…" he mumbled and backed off, raising his hands.

"Thank you." I smirked, taking out my wallet. I took out my money and put my wallet back in me purse, then turned around to pay. When I spun back around, I saw Phantom's devious smile.

"What did you do?" I accused.

"Nothing!" he defended himself. I checked my wallet. It somehow had more money inside; the exact amount I paid for my fried dough.

"You seriously don't take no for an answer, do you? I think it's sweet. Just don't try it again." I waggled my finger in his face. We sat on a bench and ate our food, listening to the music. Tubthumping by Chumbawamba came on and I giggled. I started poking him when the "oh, Danny boy" part came on.

"Very funny." He smiled.

Later on, we had already ridden a bunch of other rides and re-ridden the ones we had already been on. I had also beaten Phantom at the water gun game and won a white stuffed bear. We got a cotton candy to share and decided to go on the Ferris wheel. Phantom and I were seated in a purple carriage (what do you call the seats on a Ferris wheel?). It was perfect. The stars were shining and the lights in the city reflected off of the ocean water. The salty scent of seawater hung in the air. The next song that played was a quieter, slower one: If I Die Young by The Band Perry.

_If I die young, bury me in satin_

_Lay me down on a bed of roses _

_Sink me in the river at dawn_

_Send me away with the words of a love song._

"So what was your funeral like?" I asked out of the blue.

"What?" he was taken aback.

"You died. You had to have had a funeral."

"I… didn't have one." He confessed. I was surprised.

"How did you die?" I questioned, my curiosity taking over.

"An accident." He answered quickly.

"Do you miss your family?"

"I see them a lot, so no." he responded. I didn't question him anymore. It got silent. I watched the waves on the shore from the top of the unmoving Ferris wheel. A sudden breeze gave me a chill. I shivered.

"You cold?" he spoke up.

"Yeah, just a little. I forgot to bring a jacket." I admitted sheepishly. He opened his arms and I gladly let him hug me. _Oh my God, I'm snuggling with a superhero._ I looked up into his eyes (he had taken off his sunglasses), and I became aware of how close his face was to mine. We both began to lean in. I was mesmerized by his green eyes.

Blue mist left his mouth. _Just like Danny Fenton…_ I thought to myself. His eyes widened. We peered over the side of the Ferris wheel to see a crowd gathering around.

"It's the mayor!" shouted a voice down below.

"How the heck did they find me?" I gasped, seeing my parents standing behind Vlad. They were glancing around frantically, but Vlad seemed to know exactly where we were. He stared directly at us and began to talk to the ride operator, who then flipped a switch. The Ferris wheel began to move us closer to the ground.

"I'll get you out of here." Phantom gritted his teeth and grabbed my hand, turning us both invisible and flying us out of there.

"Where are we going to go?" I asked.

"I don't know. I'm not taking you to the Ghost Zone. That's way too dangerous." I didn't ask about whatever the "Ghost Zone" was. I guessed it was where ghosts lived. Hmm, imagine that: a whole other universe. I looked at Phantom, whose face was stoic and determined, with a slight smile. He must have seen me looking.

"Are you okay, Sam?"

"Oh! It's just really nice up here. Flying's… nice." My cheeks burned a little. _Whoa… Déjà vu. Where did that come from?_

"Déjà vu." Phantom echoed my thoughts.

"You too? Wow, that's really weird." I mused aloud. "But let's get back to business. How do we escape Vlad?"

"It's difficult but I think we might be able to –" Phantom was interrupted by a familiar metallic voice.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't the whelp and the little whelpette that trapped me in that stupid soup container." Skulker pounded his mechanical fists together. Phantom instantly retreated. This time I was actually scared. Skulker dropping me was one thing; Phantom would be free to catch me. But if he accidentally dropped me himself, there would be no guarantee that I'd be caught.

"Where do you think you're going?" Skulker appeared in front of us. Danny raced away, back toward the carnival. It was almost as if Skulker was forcing us back there. As soon as we were over the boardwalk, Skulker fired a missile directly at us.

"Don't even try going intangible! These are specially designed to hit you, whether you're intangible or not."

"Of course he'd invent something like that…" Phantom muttered. "I have to set you down here. Stay hidden. It's too dangerous."

"If Vlad finds me here, don't worry. I can handle myself. Thanks for hiding me. I had a great time." I kissed him on the cheek. He blushed in surprise and his jaw dropped a little. I removed my hat and sunglasses from my purse.

"I'll try to use this as a disguise. You go and get Skulker. If you can't make it back, I'll understand." He flew off invisibly to resume his battle with Skulker. I took about fifteen minutes nearly making it to the entrance, stealthily hiding myself behind food carts and blending in with large groups of people, but I felt someone grab my arm. I gasped, turned around, and sighed in relief.

"Phantom! You beat Skulker?"

"Of course I did! That wimp didn't stand a chance." He boasted arrogantly. He was acting differently. We talked about his battles all night and he never used that tone when he described his victories. I glanced at his green eyes; they looked cruel and cold. I doubted him. There was something off about him. I shook my doubts aside and blamed my suspicion on my imagination. Besides, how many other ghost kids are there?

"Come on!" He grabbed my hand and wove through the crowd… _away_ from my intended destination.

"Other way!" I shouted and tried to pull away, but his iron grip wouldn't release. All of a sudden I was thrown forward, right into the broad chest of Vlad Masters.

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><p><strong>CLIFFIE! It's not one of my BEST chapters... but I still like it! I do feel I rushed on my descriptions a little (I'm not great with elaboration. I'm better at dialogue because I, personally, like to talk a lot).<strong>

**Remember to review!**


	5. The Press Conference

**Ohh HEYYY! Updating again! Woo! So it'll probably be a little while until I update again. I've uploaded all of the chapters I've finished already. Now I must continue writing. So any suggestions would be GREATLY APPRECIATED. :) Just PM me or write it in a review.**

**A lot of you have been wondering if Daniel Masters is a clone. Well you're just going to have to wait and see ;) I'm not giving anything away!**

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**(And yes, I probably overuse the exclamation point. Enthusiasm!)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Danny Phantom or its characters. **

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><p><em>That rat!<em> I thought, along with a few other expletives. I glanced around wildly for the ghost boy, finding no one that even remotely resembled him.

"Hello, Samantha." Vlad smiled a predatory smile.

"Creep." I replied with false politeness. His smirk faltered for a moment.

"SAMANTHA MANSON! What do you think you're doing?" Mom shrieked.

"I _think_ I was skipping out on the press conference because I absolutely refuse to be a part of this. I am a legal adult and I can make my own decisions."

"You're still a child, Samantha." Mom admonished snootily.

"I have my own car and my own house. You're not in control of me anymore." I growled.

"You will marry Daniel. We three," she gestured to Vlad, Dad, and herself, "can take everything you have away from you, so you better not cross us again." For the first time in my life, I was actually afraid of my mother. She was right. Combined, they all had enough money to ensure the destruction of my entire life.

"Fine. I'll marry him." I sighed in defeat. It was a lose-lose situation. Either way, my life was going down the toilet.

"Wonderful. Off to the press conference! We've delayed this long enough." My mother smiled victoriously and I almost gagged. Suddenly, a head of messy black hair moved through the crowd.

"You found her? Oh thank goodness." Daniel Masters sighed in relief, sounding, to my surprise, genuinely upset. His eyes, though, still did not hold any emotion at all. Vlad glanced back at his son in surprise and shot him a glance I could not read.

My mother pulled me aside and whispered in my ear, "You see? That boy is crazy about you. Vlad told us that he hasn't shut up about you since he laid eyes on you. Even your behavior the past few days hasn't deterred him. He's been a bit hurt, but he vowed to keep on trying. You should give him a chance." I sighed and nodded. "Now you'll accompany Daniel and Vlad in their limousine to City Hall and we'll follow in ours. And we'd like you to apologize to them while you're at it." She ordered sternly. I rolled my eyes and glared. Right about now, the silent treatment was my best option. Daniel grasped my arm tightly and pulled me away from my mother.

"I don't believe I got the chance to formally introduce myself. Daniel Masters." He extended his hand. I shook it lightly. He even _sounded_ like Danny Fenton.

"Sam Manson." I responded. "Listen, I'm sorry about everything I put you through the past few days. I'm just not comfortable with an arranged marriage. But since I have no choice, I guess we can make it work. How about we start out as friends?" I smiled amicably.

"That sounds like a fantastic idea. At first, I was rather nervous about an arranged marriage too. But the idea's grown on me. You're very… unique." He moved a little closer, his voice becoming a low growl.

"Whoa there, big fella. Friends, remember?" I pushed him away a little, effectively putting more distance between us.

"Right. Sorry." He grimaced in disappointment. Like I was gonna let this guy seduce me into marriage. Yeah, right.

Vlad walked beside us. My parents had already gotten into their limousine. I took one look at the amusement park and finally felt the pain of betrayal. Phantom had sold me out. Val was right; he couldn't be trusted. And to think I cuddled with the guy! _And_ I almost kissed him! I shuddered.

After I was seated comfortably in the limo, Daniel sat beside me, a little too close for my comfort, and snaked his arm around my shoulders. I removed his arm and placed it on his lap. Vlad slid in across from me.

"Daniel, I specifically asked you to wait right here. You know how I feel about you going out in public." Vlad addressed his son sternly as soon as the door shut behind him.

"Yeah, Dad. You just don't want to answer questions. I've heard it all before." Daniel grumbled.

"Just be grateful I've found a solution. Now you, Miss Manson. I'm enthralled by your decision. You've made the right choice." Vlad's voice oozed excitement and enthusiasm. I smiled sheepishly.

"I'd like to apologize for all of the chaos I put you through. I acted rashly and immaturely. I just wasn't comfortable with this idea. I'm giving it a chance now." I recited the lines I had quickly rehearsed in my mind just minutes prior to the limousine ride.

"That is quite alright. Daniel put up quite a fight when I informed him of the wedding plans, but as soon as he saw you, I knew he was head over heels."

"We're just starting out as friends, though. We're taking it slow." I informed him, removing Daniel's arm again, now from my waist.

"As long as you're making an effort to make this work." Vlad smiled, though I detected it was a false one. I was still wary of my soon-to-be father-in-law. I had to remove Daniel's arm about seven times before we arrived at the City Hall. The press conference was going to begin in an hour and my mother had to prepare me. _Ugh_. When she was through with me, my heavy eyeliner and mascara, pale foundation, and purple lipstick had been replaced with pink lip gloss, a rosy blush, and subtler grey eyeliner.

The outfit wasn't as bad as I had expected, though. It was more like a women's business suit. It was a black blazer with a pink blouse underneath and a black pencil skirt. On my feet were black flats. She styled my hair in a neat bun.

"I decided to take _some_ of your opinions into account, as a reward for finally complying with us." She said cheerfully. I was still sticking with the silent treatment.

Vlad began his speech.

"Citizens of Amity Park, I have a very special announcement to make. I know there have been many rumors circulating about this issue, and this announcement will either verify or disprove them. I would like to introduce you all to my son, Daniel."

Daniel, who stood beside me, took a breath and stepped forward, revealing himself to the public.

"You all may be shocked that he bears a striking resemblance to Daniel Fenton, the son of Jack and Maddie Fenton, the town's resident ghost hunters and my closest friends. When I met my Daniel, a few years ago, he had nothing but the clothes on his back. My heart wrenched, especially because he looked so much like the boy who was practically my nephew. I took him in, and named him Daniel in honor of my… most faithful friends." The applause from the citizens was deafening.

"And now, I'd like to introduce you to his fiancée, Miss Samantha Manson." My mother gave me a shove. I stood up straight and walked forward, Daniel held me close by the waist, smiled, and waved. I did the same, looking over the faces before me. I found Valerie, with an expression of disbelief in her eyes. I met her gaze and tried to tell her that everything would be alright and I would talk to her when I got home. I then saw the Fentons. Danny's mother was dabbing at her eyes with a tissue, evidently touched by Vlad's story. Her husband was whooping loudly, clapping harder than anyone else in the crowd. Danny, however, wasn't as moved. He had pulled his sister aside and was frantically conversing with her. His eyes were wide and his gestures were wild as he moved his hands about. He caught me staring at him and I looked away, somewhat angered that he, or rather his friend, broke his promise to hide me. Before I broke the eye contact, I could see the disbelief in his eyes. And was that a trace of heartbreak in his eyes? I had cut the gaze too late, though.

Daniel must have been the jealous type. He saw my intent gaze at Danny and quickly spun me around, planting his lips firmly on mine. His lips were cold and his tongue was trying to pry my mouth open. What could I do? If I unleashed my true emotions, they would take everything away from me. I began to improvise. I relaxed into the kiss and began to kiss back briefly, still not allowing his slimy, disgusting tongue enter my mouth, breaking the kiss quickly after.

Vlad retreated into city hall and Daniel and I followed, my temper slowly grew. As soon as the heavy wooden doors shut behind us, I spun on my fiancée.

"What… was… _THAT_! WE AGREED ON TAKING IT SLOW!" I raged.

"I just couldn't resist, my dear. You looked ravishing out there. I decided to make this believable. _And _you kissed me back." He tried to pull me closer again.

"Ugh, get away from me, you creep. I didn't kiss you back because I wanted to! How would it have looked if I shoved you away in disgust? Because that was what I felt like doing. I tried to make it work. I _tried_ to give you a chance. You _RUINED IT!_ I'm going home. Give my regards to your father and my parents. I'll see you whenever." I took my hair out of the bun and stormed out of City Hall, ignoring all of the waiting paparazzi and making my way to my house.

"What happened? Why did you agree?" Val questioned as soon as slammed the apartment door behind me.

"I agreed because my parents threatened to take everything away from me. I don't want to give up my life here. And besides, I couldn't hide anymore. You were completely right about Phantom. He just about handed me over to Vlad!" I told her about my day with Phantom, leaving out the part that one of her best friends organized the whole thing. Instead, I told her that we had organized it after the first town hall fiasco. He had come to make sure I was alright and I told him about my issues.

"I can't believe you did that!" Valerie shrieked.

"It was my only choice! Who else could have hid me better than a ghost?" I protested.

"I suppose you're right, but ghosts are heartless creatures. I'm sorry you had to learn the hard way." She gave me a small hug.

"What was the kiss about, though?" Val changed the subject.

"I have no idea. He was being really touchy-feely, even after I said I wanted to take it slow. He claimed he wanted to make our relationship 'more believable'. I think he kissed me because I was looking at Danny." I confessed sheepishly.

"Girl, you love Danny."

"No, I don't!" I went to my room to change. I heard a faint knock coming from the living room. I had put on some sweats and wiped off my mother's makeup. On the couch sat Danny and Tucker, chatting casually with Valerie. Danny stood up as soon as he saw me, running a hand through his raven hair.

"Sam, I need to talk to you for a minute." He said, never taking his eyes off me.

"Fine." I was still agitated. Val winked at me. I rolled my eyes and led Danny to the kitchen.

"What happened? How did Vlad find you?" He exclaimed.

"Your buddy sold me out and threw me to the dogs. I was almost to the gate when he found me. He had… changed. He was completely full of himself, bragging about beating that ghost, Skulker. Then, he tossed me right to Vlad instead of keeping me away!"

"I don't remember any of that…" He whispered to himself.

"What did you say?" I snapped my head up to look at the surprised boy.

"I said… Vlad's a little rat! You can't trust him, Sam." He covered for himself. I started to get angry.

"Thank you, Captain Obvious. As if I didn't know that already. Don't lie! I heard what you said! What did you mean by it?" I pressed further, getting in his face a little; so close our noses almost touched.

He looked away. "I-I can't –"

"Tell me? OF COURSE you can't tell me!" I fumed, backing him up against the refrigerator. "Why, pray tell, can't you tell me?" It was getting more and more difficult to keep quiet. I hate being lied to.

"Because… because…" His eyes darted around the room, looking for an escape. Suddenly, a loud thump sounded in the doorway. We both whipped our heads around to face the source.

Tucker was lying on the floor, face down. Looking up at us, he chuckled nervously. "Hello!" he smiled, trying to play off his clumsiness. Val was staring in horror at the boy on the floor. Tucker stood up and brushed himself off.

"Tucker, let me give you a piece of advice… RUN." Valerie advised him. He was out of the apartment in the blink of an eye.

"I better catch up with Tucker." Danny rubbed the back of his neck uneasily.

"And I'll just go to my room." Val retreated a few steps.

"Hold it. Neither of you are off the hook. I'll talk with you later." I addressed Valerie, giving her a pointed look. She continued her walk to her bedroom.

"Listen. I'm sorry I blew up at you. Things have been extremely weird these days and my emotions have been out of control. If you can't tell me something, you shouldn't. I'll respect your privacy from now on. I'm just sick of being lied to and betrayed, and even little lies like that hurt a lot. But I understand now. You were just trying to protect your privacy." I rambled on, realizing that I was in the wrong on this one.

"Say no more. You're forgiven." Danny grinned.

"You're way too forgiving, you know that?" I punched his shoulder playfully. "Thanks for allowing me to let off some steam. I feel a lot calmer now." I let out a breath.

"Anytime." I hugged him.

_This looks to be the beginning of a beautiful friendship._ I thought, smiling to myself.

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><p><strong>And there you have it. Remember to review! Metaphorical brownies to those who review. :) And don't worry, they do not contain nuts.<strong>

**-TheNumberFour**


	6. A Turn for the Worse

**Sup guys! ****I'm back with the new chapter! *throws confetti* Enjoy! And thank you all, once again, for the reviews! Keep on reviewing and ignore my overuse of the exclamation point! (It's the best punctuation there is and it makes everything sound so cheerful!)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Danny Phantom. **

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><p>"This?" The woman currently ruining my life held up an article of clothing. I stared down at my book, not even looking.<p>

"No." She sifted through more racks of clothing.

"How about this?" She held up something else. Out of my peripheral vision, I could see that it was bright pink.

"No." I answered with disgust.

"How do you expect to find an outfit for Vlad's party tonight if you keep shooting down my every suggestion without even looking?" she nagged, arms akimbo, shooting me a stern glance.

"By shopping with Valerie." I stated simply. My mother had banned Val from coming on this little shopping excursion, finally proclaiming the words I was surprised I didn't hear sooner: "SHE'S A BAD INFLUENCE." As if I had to worry about bad influences at my age.

I was not mad at Valerie anymore. After Danny and Tucker left last night, she explained that she was only trying to stop Tucker from spying on us. It didn't improve my sentiments toward him. Next time I saw the techno-geek, I was going to kill him. I smiled slightly at the thought, just enough so my mother didn't notice, and continued to read my book.

"Oh, Sammy! Isn't this the most adorable thing?" My mother squealed at a piece of frilly clothing. I was unable to distinguish whether it was a skirt, shirt, or pants. I stood up and informed my mother that I would look elsewhere. It was going to be difficult to find something that we'd both approve of.

I looked through multiple clothes racks, finally coming to something I knew my mother would find appropriate. It was a lacy, form fitting spaghetti-strap, black dress, which flared out a little just above the knees. If I paired those with my black stiletto heels, my mom wouldn't give me any grief!

I called her and told her to meet me in the dressing room, where I changed into the dress. She came rushing within seconds after I came out. The dress looked perfect.

"Wonderful choice, Samantha. I, personally, am not a fan of the color, but at least it's a very classy decision." She clapped her hands. "I'm so excited to be on a real shopping trip with my daughter. At last!" She knocked the wind out of me with a tight hug.

"Mom!" I gasped, "You're gonna ruin the dress!" She released me and smoothed the fabric of the dress down. I changed back into my regular clothes and met my mother outside the dressing rooms, where we proceeded to the checkout line to purchase my selection.

"Now let's see what else we can find!" my mother dragged me all over the place, finally stopping at the lingerie section.

"How about finding a little something for the honeymoon…" She smirked at me and I glowered right back.

"I'm not having this talk now." I pinched the bridge of my nose. She didn't listen. She kept pulling out frilly little things I didn't even know how to put on and putting them in our shopping cart.

"Well, what kind of shopping are you doing today?" I heard a familiar voice and grimaced, turning around. Daniel stood there in all his glory, in a suit and tie. "Is that all for me? Oh, you shouldn't have." His grin was malicious and his eyes were as cold as ice. I placed everything back on the rack and attempted to pull my mother out of the hideous section.

"It's not me, it's my mother. So… Daddy's finally letting his widdle baby out in public, huh?" I mocked him with a pout.

Mom took a break from humiliating me as soon as she spotted Daniel.

"Oh, Daniel, how wonderful it is to see you!" She grabbed the boy in a hug. I took that as a chance to run from this situation. I backed away slowly, but Daniel was able to reach out and catch me, allowing my mother to release him. He then pulled me in close, obviously intending to kiss my lips, but I turned away, so all he could get my cheek.

"Well, I don't mean to be rude… wait, that's a lie, I kind of do," I spat, "but I have to run to the bathroom." I yanked my arm out of his grip and quickly walked away. I was safely on the other side of the store, where I found another exit. I sighed, relieved to be free of that loser. A bright green motorcycle pulled up in front of me a second later.

"Hop on." The driver, dressed in jeans and a red and white t-shirt, ordered, flipping open the mask on his helmet. I saw two friendly blue eyes. Danny's arm stretched out, handing me a helmet.

"Way to give me a heart attack. For all I knew, you could have been a kidnapper or a rapist. Where did you get the bike, anyway?" I laughed, grabbing the helmet and hopping on the bike.

"When I was seventeen, I convinced my dad that we needed a 'Fenton Motorcycle.'"Danny revved the engine and took off.

"How did you know I needed help?" I shouted over the roar of the motor and the wind. My arms were wrapped around his strong torso. _He definitely works out…_ I thought to myself, impressed.

"I just had that feeling…" He answered.

"What feeling?"

"I honestly have _no_ idea!" he yelled back. I could hear the grin in his voice. My mother was probably frantic by now. The thought made my smile widen.

"So where are we going?"

"My house. I figured my new friend would like to meet my family and vice versa." I was afraid all of a sudden. First of all, it seems like a 'couple thing,' a boy taking a girl to meet his family. His parents were also close to Vlad and they'd definitely know me and probably be in support of my marriage to his son. And finally, there was the standard fear: what if they don't like me?

Danny slowed to a stop in front of a normal brownstone – which seemed normal until you saw the gigantic metal addition on the roof and the neon FentonWorks sign above the door.

"Come on. There's nothing to be afraid of." Danny grabbed my hand and began to drag me along behind him. He halted abruptly and revised his last statement, "Well, except for my mother's cooking… Her meals are known to spontaneously come alive. But otherwise you're ok." He opened the door. I saw Danny's very husky father in his orange jumpsuit quickly set down his needlepoint on the couch cushion.

"Hey, Dad. This is my friend, Sam." Danny introduced me. The large man stood and smiled, holding out his large, gloved hand out. I accepted it and shook briskly.

"Hey, now! You have a good handshake! Hey," He squinted at my face, "You're Vladdy's son's little lady! It's great to finally meet you." I stifled a laugh. _Vladdy?_

"It's nice to meet you too, Mr. Fenton." I smiled.

"Call me Jack!" The man's enthusiastic, booming voice ordered amiably. I nodded, and Danny grabbed my hand and led me to the kitchen. There stood a petite woman in a blue HAZMAT suit, making cookies. She turned, sensing her son's presence.

"Hi, Danny! Who's this?" She evidently noticed Danny's hand still holding on to mind and smiled. We released each other's hand simultaneously. Mrs. Fenton's amused smile grew.

"This is Sam."

I stepped forward and held out my hand, "It's nice to meet you, Mrs. Fenton." Instead, she drew me in for a hug.

"Don't be silly, dear. Handshakes are too formal. And please, call me Maddie. Mrs. Fenton is my mother-in-law. And I also believe you need a hug for doing what you're doing." Her last comment confused me just a little.

"The Masters' are creeps. You're one brave girl, sweetheart. I'm one to know. I'll tell you my own stories sometime." She pulled away from the hug and rolled her eyes just a little bit. Normally I hated being called 'sweetheart,' but for some reason I didn't care about Maddie's use of the nickname.

"I'm actually kind of being forced by my parents… and Vlad. Don't worry; it's nothing I can't handle." I smiled sheepishly, and then grimaced.

Maddie's eyebrow rose and her mouth formed an 'O'. "I'm so sorry. If there's anything I can do, do not hesitate to call. I'm always here to talk."

"I think I will take you up on that offer." I told her, smiling. I hadn't known the woman for more than five minutes and she was already more of a mother to me than my own mother.

"Is Jazz here? I want her to meet Sam too." Danny spoke up.

"She's upstairs, sweetie." Maddie turned back to her cookies.

Danny grabbed my hand again and led me up the stairs, veering into a doorway on the left. The red-haired girl was sitting at her desk, typing away on her computer. She spoke without turning around.

"What is it, Danny? I'm in the middle of a very important report. It has to be in my boss's inbox by three." The keyboard clicked furiously.

"I wanted to introduce you to a friend." Jazz abruptly stopped typing and spun her chair around to face us.

"Baby brother finally has a girlfriend?" Jazz smirked like a typical older sibling would.

"Dude, stop grabbing my hand! People are getting ideas!" I released his hand quickly. "To answer your question, no. I'm just a friend. And besides, I'm already engaged." Jazz finally realized who I was.

"Oh!" She squeaked in surprise.

"For the smartest woman on earth, you sure are slow." Danny teased, poking his sister's shoulder.

"I'm sorry. You're Samantha, right?"

"Just Sam. And yeah, I'm that girl. Unfortunately." I sighed, slumping my shoulders at the subject.

"I am so sorry. Vlad's a creep." Jazz was sympathetic, putting a hand on my shoulder.

"No kidding. So is his son. He and Danny may look alike, but they are _nothing_ alike. He found me at the mall today. I feel like he's following me or something!" I almost yelled.

"I've never met him, but I definitely believe you. Obviously, if you're raised by that fruitloop, you're going to turn out like that fruitloop." Jazz stated, shrugging. Danny chuckled.

"And that's why I'm not planning on having children with him. _That_ will never be the father of my child. Not in a billion years." I said seriously, meaning every word I said.

"Good choice, my friend. I like you. I just need to get back to my report. I'll talk to you sometime!" Jazz smiled brightly and ushered her brother and me out of the room.

"Your family is loads better than my family. Thanks for introducing me. But," I glanced at my watch, "I need to get ready for a party at Vlad's." I groaned. He looked sympathetic.

"Been there. Good luck with that." He patted me lightly on the shoulder and led me outside. "I can give you a lift home if you want." He offered.

"Sure. That would be great. I'm actually not going home, though. I'm going to my parents' hotel on the other side of town." I explained. He put on his helmet and patted the seat behind him. My mother was going to kill me when she saw what I was doing.

Danny revved the engine of the bike again and took off. As we raced through the city, I sighed to myself, wishing for this kind of freedom. I doubted my "lovely" husband would even allow me to _look_ at a motorcycle.

We pulled up to the hotel much faster than I had anticipated. I swore mentally. Forced to leave the paradise of freedom and enter my own personal prison. I hugged and thanked Danny and told him to tell Tucker I was still looking for him and that he wouldn't get off that easily. Danny laughed at this and sped off into the falling dusk.

"What was that?" I heard a small clicking noise accompanying the condescending voice behind me. I knew those sounds meant one thing: my mother was standing behind me, arms crossed, while tapping her foot on the ground in impatience and irritation.

"_HE_, mother, was my new friend, Danny. He offered to give me a lift here." I retorted, emphasizing that Danny wasn't "that."

"I meant the motorcycle, the hug, the smile, the laugh." My mother clarified sternly. "You aren't cheating on Daniel, are you?"

"Of course not, mother." _No matter how much I want to._ "Danny is just a friend."

"Good. No more of that behavior, Samantha. I nearly had a heart attack after you disappeared like that." She said, pushing me into the hotel, dragging me into the elevator and pushing the top button, which would take us to the penthouse suite. Nothing but the best for the Manson family.

As soon as the elevator door shut behind us, we were bombarded by tons of servants and stylists. I was practically carried to a bedroom. Somehow, they had been able to rid me of my clothing and yank the dress on without me noticing. I was placed in front of a vanity where numerous people worked on my face and my hair. When they were done, My makeup looked surprisingly lighter and subtle than I had imagined. I was wearing pink lip gloss (ew), blush (ew again), and a little bit of eyeliner. My hair was in a high bun with a few loose curls framing my face.

"Oh, Samantha! You look absolutely gorgeous. You'd look even better in pink though." She squeezed my arm and handed me my black heels and handbag. I shoved my foot into each shoe and walked to the elevator. It was a silent elevator ride; one of the most awkward I've ever been on. My mother tried to make conversation, however, I didn't respond. I was in one of those moods; the one I usually got when I had to go see the Masters'. I rolled my eyes when I realized that I'd feel so much worse after the marriage was over with.

Much to my dismay, Daniel was waiting for me outside. Mom had suddenly disappeared. I assumed she had gotten in her own limo. I was trapped with my creepy fiancé. Fantastic.

"Shall we?" he took my hand anyway, not waiting for an answer. I scowled inwardly while I feigned a smile for the press that was slowly surrounding us. I practically leaped into the limo to avoid the flashing cameras and obnoxious, nosy questions.

"Isn't this cozy." He scooted closer to me. I responded by sliding away. He advanced. I moved to the other side of the limo.

"We're done with this game of limousine tag. You stay there. I'll stay here. Got it?" I ordered him.

"All I want to do is snuggle with my fiancé. Is that so bad." The puppy dog look he gave me didn't work. If his eyes had the special spark of emotion, it may have been just a little more effective (remember, I am immune to puppy dog faces.)

"Doesn't work on me." I smirked.

"What will work on you?"

"First of all, asking me what will work won't work. Second, I believe I already told you. But five seconds later you completely disregarded what I said." I crossed my arms and glared out the window.

He was next to me in an instant.

"And there you go. Disregarding my rules yet again." I growled.

"I'm just trying to tell you I'm sorry." I looked back at him. "I realized that I just lost control. I can sense a connection between us because I am completely enamored by you. You're beautiful, and you're your own person. Please forgive my behavior in the past few days." I didn't know what to say. He had come to that realization pretty quickly.

"I'm sorry. But I just can't…" I trailed off. There was a knot in my stomach; something telling me that all he was doing was putting on a show just to get on my good side, urging me not to accept his apology. He stared at me for a few moments, and then his features stiffened suddenly.

"What else can I possibly do?" Came his low, dangerous snarl. "When I first met you, I didn't say a word and you threw a fit! I try being flirty, hoping for _some_ reciprocation. I muster up the best apology I could think of –" I cut him off, my voice rising.

"'The best apology you could think of'? I knew it! You didn't mean a single word of –" He interrupted me with a bellow.

"DO NOT INTERRUPT ME!" The shrill shriek of the boy took me by surprise, but I didn't back down from this argument.

"I'll interrupt you all I want to interrupt you! You did everything but follow the rules I clearly and concisely set out for you! WE WERE STARTING AS FRIENDS, YOU MORON!" I began to yell.

"Is everything alright back there?" The driver rolled down his little window.

"Fine. Close that window now. I need to continue my private conversation with my fiancé." Daniel ordered coldly. The driver obliged.

Daniel grabbed both my wrists and pulled me closer roughly. I was sure I'd have handprint-shaped bruises on my wrists tomorrow.

"You listen, and you listen well. You will be mine. You are no one else's. And you especially don't belong to that idiot you were staring at during the press conference." So Danny _was _the reason Daniel kissed me. "I can't believe you're content with him and not me. We're – we look exactly alike!" If his eyes held any emotion, they'd be blazing. His teeth were clenched in a scowl. I opened my mouth to protest and tell him that Danny was only a friend and nothing more, but he gave a feral growl to silence me and then continued with his speech. "Don't think I didn't see you leave the store with him on that motorcycle. You barely even know him and you're in love with him. How sad. And don't deny it, because judging from the expression on your face as you left the store today, I'd say you were in heaven. I'm telling you now: if you cooperate with me and forget about him, I could give you the heaven you deserve. But… if you decide to defy me _one more time_ I'll make your life with me just the opposite." He hissed.

I gulped, letting his words sink in while silence overcame us. Was I in love with Danny? No! He was becoming one of my best friends, albeit quickly. I was unusually trusting of Danny too. In college, it had taken Val the whole of freshman year to break my shell. Well, I trusted Tucker, another boy I had just met. _To an extent_, I thought, thinking of how he eavesdropped on Danny and my argument. _In which we were practically pressed up against each other and our lips were centimeters from touching._ I shook my head. I always felt great with Danny, but not in a lovey-dovey way! I felt like I did with Valerie; like I was spending time with a really awesome friend.

"You're wrong. I don't love Danny Fenton. He's becoming one of my best friends! Though I can see how you'd make the mistake. You've never had real friends before. Obviously you don't know what it feels like." His grip on my wrists tightened, even though it felt like they couldn't get any tighter. The circulation to my hands was completely cut off and I could feel the numbness and the painful pins-and-needles feeling. I gave a whimper, which wasn't like me, but I felt like if he tightened his grasp anymore, he would snap off my hands completely. He suddenly released, and I gave a sigh of relief which was choked as soon as I saw him raising his hand, palm facing me. I closed my eyes, bracing for impact that never came. Peering at Daniel through one eye, I saw him lowering his hand slowly.

"You're lucky I don't hit women."

His comment astonished me. He was okay with nearly ripping my hands off, but he wouldn't hit me? I suppose I should be thankful. If his slap was as strong as his grip, the whole side of my face would be bruised and broken.

"You are never to have contact of any kind with Daniel Fenton ever again." Daniel ordered suddenly. "And disobedience may persuade me to forget about my chivalrous ways."

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><p><strong>So I don't know where this chapter came from. It was fun to write the last part, though because I enjoyed making Daniel Masters way more unlikable than he was before. And I also felt that she should meet the Fentons too. It was a very eventful chapter.<strong>

**Please review! I appreciate reviews! :D**

**-TheNumberFour**


	7. Party at Fruitloop's

**Wassup y'all! So this is the last day of my fake-ation (my name for February break, most of which was so rudely taken away from us due to all of the snow days last year or something like that.)**

**New chapter! Hooray! I wasn't incredibly sure of this chapter. I hope you guys will like it anyways!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Danny Phantom, blah, blah, blah... If I did, it wouldn't have ended the way it did (or at all), yada, yada...**

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><p>The rest of the ride was spent in silence. Why was it that every other sentence I'd been hearing lately was an ultimatum? I examined my sore wrists, which were already turning ugly shades of blue and purple. And even worse, I'd been wearing bracelets, so I had deep imprints of the links in my skin. A charm bracelet had also punctured my arm, drawing blood. How would I explain the wounds that had just suddenly appeared on my wrists? I couldn't hide them… or could I? I rummaged in my purse and found some concealing makeup. Daniel looked on as I brushed on the powder, effectively masking the bruises. He seemed to be monitoring me; making sure I wouldn't pull any tricks. I ignored his gaze and resumed fixing myself. I could find some other way to explain the cut, which wasn't bleeding profusely, but still bleeding a bit. <em>I was going to file my nails when the limo hit a bump and I stabbed myself with my nail file. Good,<em> I quickly thought of an excuse for the nick in my skin.

"Are you going to respond to me?"

"What?" I snapped my head up, agitated.

"I forbid you from contacting Daniel Fenton ever again. Are you going to or not?" he pressed further.

"Well, because of your previous jealous, moronic tirade, I'd say, for fear of serious injury, I will avoid Danny Fenton at all costs. Don't get your hopes up because I'm not afraid of you, even if you just dislocated both of my wrists. I just don't want to get myself into more trouble than I need." I finished my explanation. It was true. I was not afraid of Daniel. He was just a pathetic, spoiled brat throwing a tantrum because he couldn't get what he wanted. The only problem was that he was strong and could really hurt me. I hate pain (I'm goth, not emo).

"Not quite the answer I was expecting." He rubbed his chin with one hand. "But I'll take it. I don't want you to fear me… I just want a beautiful, obedient little wife." He stroked my hand, which I promptly pulled away.

"No touching. Just shut up until we get to your dad's house." I continued to cover my bruises until I was completely sure no one would notice any discoloration of my skin. The limousine rolled to the stop. Daniel exited first and I followed, reluctantly grabbing the hand he'd offered. He held me close, his arm around my waist, and led me down the red carpet laid out in front of Vlad's ostentatious Amity Park mansion.

There were hundreds of screaming people standing just past the velvet ropes as well as paparazzi from all over the world, all trying to get a glimpse of the most famous couple at the moment. I was incredibly surprised that we were bigger than Brangelina and William and Kate. I was only the deli toothpick cellophane-twirling heiress. I suppose they were more interested in Daniel. Vlad had only just begun to let his heir out in public.

We had arrived at the door, where Vlad was waiting.

"Why, Samantha! You look just lovely, young lady. Daniel, you're a very lucky man." Yeah. Lucky to have a father that can buy him a wife. He smiled and ushered us inside, where we wove through a crowd full of socialites, business moguls, movie stars, and the occasional professional sports player, who all began to applaud us upon our entrance.

Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted Valerie. I was forced to drag Daniel along to see her because he wouldn't release my hand.

"What are you doing here?" I asked her happily while I attempted to extricate my hand from Daniel's grip.

"My Dad's working security. Mr. Masters insisted I come along." Daniel coughed beside me.

"And this is Daniel." I said flatly, rolling my eyes at the snobby jerk attached to my hand. "Daniel, meet Valerie."

"I've… heard so much about you…" She summoned up a weak smile.

"All bad, I'm guessing? I've noticed Samantha expresses her disdain for me frequently." He rolled his eyes, as if I were some child. It was _way_ more than disdain; it was pure loathing. He turned around, noticing someone he knew, suddenly bid a quick goodbye to Valerie, and finally released my hand, vanishing into the crowd.

"Val, I have so much to tell you. Come with me." She followed me to the bathroom where I shut and locked the door behind me.

"What? Something bad?" My friend was extremely concerned.

"Very. You know I went to the mall with my mother today. We saw Daniel there. He caught me and my mother in the lingerie section, of all places. And before you ask, my mom dragged me there and was searching for something for the honeymoon. Ugh. Anyways, I escaped and found Danny, who took me to his parents' house on his motorcycle." Val smirked at this. I glared back. "I met his family, he took me back to my parents' hotel, my mom got mad, blah blah blah." I skipped ahead in the story to the limousine and what transpired between Daniel and me.

"Oh my God… He's a monster! Even though he's totally right about the Danny thing. You are head-over-heels. He took you to see his _parents_. Doesn't that seem like a thing a couple would do? And when you were arguing in the kitchen? You were so close you almost kissed. I saw when I tried to keep Tucker away from you guys." She was smug.

I sighed. Everyone seemed to think it was true. But was it? I always got a tingly feeling. And I wouldn't ever admit it out loud, but just being near him made me weak in the knees. After the motorcycle ride I opened my eyes and looked at Val in realization.

"I –"

"Don't say a word. I understand. You do love him. You don't have to admit it. And I won't say 'I told you so.'" She interrupted me.

I smiled slightly. "You just did, stupid. Actually, I'm the one that should be called stupid. Falling in love with a guy I barely know? I must be insane. And what am I going to do? If I ever see Danny again, Daniel would have some way of knowing! And if he finds out I even glance at a picture of Danny, I have no idea what he'll do to me." I brushed away some of the powdered makeup off my wrist and Valerie gasped at the already blackish-purple bruise. I reached into my purse and found the makeup so I could reapply it to my wrist. "I just know it will be worse than _that_."

"Oh, Sam…" Val patted my back. I went to unlock the door.

"I better get back out there before they wonder where I went." I said, walking out the door and back to the ballroom.

"Ah, there you are, my dear." I heard Daniel's voice behind me. "May I have this dance?" Well, I couldn't refuse when all these people were watching, so I imagined that Daniel was Danny (which wasn't too difficult considering they looked like twins separated at birth), smiled like I was actually in love, and took Daniel's hand. We waltzed around the room with all eyes on us. I gazed into his lifeless blue eyes with faux happiness. I felt like bashing my own head in right there on the spot.

Soon after we had started dancing, other couples had joined us on the dance floor. I felt a tap on my shoulder. "May I cut in?"

I saw Vlad. Oh dear. I went from dancing with one creep to dancing with the other. Daniel stepped to the side and smiled. My future father-in-law and I began to dance.

"I felt I should get to know you, Samantha. How do you and Daniel like each other? You both looked incredible during your dance." _Should I lie and make him happy? Or should I tell the truth and face his wrath?_ I decided to go with lies on this one.

"We're getting along just fine, Mr. Masters." I smiled.

"I'm glad you're warming up to him so well. I apologize if he ever acts out, though. He never had any friends when he was living on his own and it never made any once I adopted him because we've moved around so much. He's just so used to getting what he wants now that he's been spoiled so much. I apologize for any inappropriate behavior he may exhibit." He didn't sound genuinely sorry for his son's behavior. I prepared myself for one of the biggest lies I've told.

"He's been behaving just fine."

"Wonderful!" he exclaimed in glee. "How are you liking the city of Amity Park?"

"I like it very well. I've made a few new friends."

"Like whom?"

"Valerie Grey is my roommate, and through her I met Tucker Foley and Danny Fenton. Then I met the whole Fenton family. I know you're good friends with them." Vlad's face darkened noticeably at the mention of the Fentons.

He opened his mouth to say something else, but turned his head as we both heard a slam as the ballroom doors opened.

"VLADDIE!"_Speak of the devil._ I held in my grin as an excited Jack Fenton and a reluctant Maddie, Jazz, and Danny entered the ballroom.

"_What_ is _HE_ doing here?" I heard Vlad mutter to himself. He stared hatefully at Jack, and then composed himself.

"Maddie! Daniel! Jasmine! And… Jack!" His polite and cheerful tone faltered as he said Danny's father's name. They were all dressed rather formally except for Mr. Fenton. He was wearing his bright orange jumpsuit and obviously thought he could dress it up with a large blue and yellow-orange tie. This is why I liked this man. He wasn't afraid of people's opinions… or he just wasn't bright enough to realize them… Jazz was wearing a spaghetti strap floral gown which reached her knees and her hair was in a long side braid. Maddie's gown was a teal colored halter (the same color as her usual jumpsuit), which also ended just at her knees. Danny was dressed in a plain navy blue suit and a maroon tie. My lovesick feminine instincts took over and I sighed inwardly as he waved to me. I was about to wave back as my arm was taken and squeezed firmly by Daniel, who glared daggers at Danny. Danny reciprocated with a glare of his own.

"Jack, what are you doing here?" Vlad was bewildered.

"Well, we met Daniel's little lady earlier today and I overheard her saying you were having a party! Oh, there she is now! HI SAM!" He raised a hand to greet me, and I smiled at the man in response, since Daniel was still holding my arm. "Our invite must have been lost in the mail, best buddy." Jack's voice boomed, eliciting giggles from most of the wealthy people in the room.

"Well… since you're here, do enjoy yourselves." Vlad ground his teeth together as he spoke to Jack. The party resumed from that point on and Vlad thankfully never returned to finish the dance, presumably hiding in order to avoid Jack Fenton. If they were such good friends, why did Vlad appear to hate Jack so much? I saw Danny begin to approach, but Daniel yanked me out of the room and into an empty hallway.

"You remember what I told you, correct?" he squeezed my tender wrists again.

"Yes." I whispered hoarsely.

"You are to stay by my side for the rest of the night." He ordered, standing up straight and emphasizing the height difference between he and I. He was much taller.

"I honestly think she'd like you more if you treated her like an actual person." Another voice echoed off the stone walls.

"This is none of your concern, _Fenton._" Daniel sneered. "She will always be _my_ bride."

"Stop! I can handle it." I stepped between the two men, facing Danny and saying words that would hurt me as well as Danny. "I don't want to talk to you anymore or see you. I'm so sorry."

"Cut it out, Sam. I know it's not true. I know he's putting you up to this because he feels threatened by my very presence. And from the way you're acting right now, I'd say he threatened you too. Is that right?" He didn't even sound hurt by my words. He knew I was lying and knew exactly why. How? I stepped back, looking at both of the young men.

"_Lie._" Daniel mouthed.

"Shut up, you idiot." Danny growled through clenched teeth.

"I didn't say a word." Daniel muttered.

"I'm not blind. I can also see that my _friend_," Danny emphasized the word friend, hurting me slightly, though I knew he only did it to prove a point, "has been mistreated." He gently took the part of my arm that wasn't injured and carefully brushed the makeup off my bruises.

"How did you –" I stuttered.

"I have my ways." Danny brushed my question off, focusing on Daniel and narrowing his eyes. "Don't you ever hurt her like this _again_. If you do, I will not think twice about ripping you apart."

"Danny! Please stay out of this!" I was astonished at his rage and grabbed his arm.

"It's too late. I'm already involved." He growled, glowering at Daniel.

"Oh, look at the two lovebirds. This is exactly the reason I cannot allow the two of you to see each other." Daniel's comment made me realize the position we were in. I was extremely close to Danny, in almost the same position we were in during our argument in my kitchen. We jumped apart and shouted, "We're not lovebirds!" _Whoa… another déjà vu… just like the carnival._

"Since neither of you are brave enough to say a word, I guess I'll do it. Samantha loves Danny. Danny loves Samantha. Despite their mutual feelings, Samantha and Danny will not be allowed to see each other because I say so. And that is final. Or else."

"Like father like son." Danny snarled at Daniel's threat.

"I'll take that as a compliment." Daniel smirked.

"Now, now, boys. Play nicely." Vlad appeared from out of nowhere, pushing the two boys apart, then addressing me.

"Samantha, what happened to your wrist? I want the truth." I gulped.

"Your son happened."

Vlad spun on Daniel and dragged him into another room. I could hear a few angry whispers, but I couldn't make them out. Danny and I just stood there staring in the direction the two had gone. A few minutes later, they returned. Vlad took the boy by the collar of his jacket and shoved him forward.

"I'm sorry." He muttered.

"Fine."

"And Daniel?" Both boys looked at Vlad, as that was the name he used for both.

"Fenton." Vlad clarified.

"What?" Danny glared.

"I would like… a word in private."

Daniel grabbed my hand and led me out of the room, leaving me wondering what Vlad wanted with Danny and what would happen to me next.

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><p><strong>Next chapter I was thinking of doing something from Danny's POV. I want to show you guys Vlad and Danny's discussion! It'll reveal lots! <strong>

**Review if you want me to do something like that, because if you don't I may not... ****There's some incentive!**

**REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW! (I cannot emphasize that enough)**

**Hugs and heart-shaped cookies for everyone,**

**-TheNumberFour-**


	8. Motives Revealed

**Hey everyone! Sorry about the long wait. My life has been really hectic lately... First there's all of this SAT stuff going on (the website won't even let me sign up for SATs. Aggravation.), then, some crazy-in-a-bad-way ex-family members decided to come back into my life, and, to top it all off, I had a panic attack in school because of a story we read in English class (don't even ask)... Yeah, this week has had its ups and downs. At least one of the ups was going to my friend's house over the weekend. We played Guitar Hero World Tour (and failed because the electric drums that go with it have no rhythm. And I'm a drummer, so I know.) and Just Dance and then pigged out on ice cream and pizza. Hooray!**

**SOOOOO... You guys really came through on the last chapter! So. Many. Reviews! I can't thank you enough for your support! And, as you requested, the Danny Chapter! It answers pretty much every question you guys have asked me. It's a bit on the short side, though compared to other chapters. I'm also kind of having writer's block too :( Ideas would be greatly appreciated! So either give me some ideas through reviews or PM me. PLEASE AND THANK YOU, KIND READERS :D**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Danny Phantom. Duh, I've said it like seven times already.**

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><p>DPOV<p>

Sam left with that snot Daniel. He had _no _right to treat her that way. I first saw him asserting his authority over her when she attempted to greet me. From the way he snatched her arm, I could tell he was threatening her, and it gave me a bad feeling. That's why I followed them out of the room.

I had a pretty good hunch he was a clone. Maybe Vlad would let some information about whatever this kid was slip during our conversation. Or maybe that was what he was trying to convey to me now.

"What do you want?" I snapped, assuming a defensive position. Vlad chuckled.

"Stand down, boy. I don't intend to hurt you."

"So you must want to make a deal." I deduced. I had come to know the true Vlad very well, and had gotten a bit better at predicting his next move.

"Why do you suppose I want negotiate with you, Daniel?" Vlad was amused, and smirked at me. Inside, I was nervous. Talking to my archenemy had never gotten easier since we became enemies. However, I had perfected the ability to hide my emotions from him, though I could never tell if he actually knew how I felt. He was still always a step or two ahead of me.

"Whenever we have these nice little chats, it's either because you want to threaten me or negotiate with me." I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms.

"Very good, Daniel. You've actually guessed correctly, surprisingly. You're improving." I raised my eyebrow at Vlad's confirmation.

"Just let me give you a little information first. You may be wondering how I could find a boy with such a striking resemblance to you. The truth is, I didn't find him. I created him."

I knew it! Daniel was a clone! But how was he able to make a clone without my mid-morph DNA? My other clone, Danielle, along with many other clones, was a "failure" because Vlad didn't have my mid-morph DNA. Danielle was the only clone of Vlad's I didn't reduce to ectoplasm. She was different; she had a soul. She was only considered a failed clone because she did not have the gender or age that Vlad desired as well as the fact that she was unstable (until I gave her a dose of Ecto-Dejecto*). The only way you could tell she was a clone was her eyes. They were the same color as mine, but they were lifeless and did not express any emotion, no matter how happy Danielle appeared to be.

"He's a clone?" I asked, guessing aloud.

"Yes."

"How?"

"By studying your human and ghost DNA as well as the structure of my own mid-morph DNA, I was able to create a synthetic strand of your mid-morph DNA." He explained.

Why was he telling me all this? If he wanted to win, why did he insist on opening his mouth? At the reunion, he revealed his ghost half to me, ruining all of his evil plans for the future, because after I had found out his secret identity, I was wise to his motives. I suppose I shouldn't be looking a gift horse in the mouth, though.

"So when Sam said Danny Phantom brought her to you…" I trailed off.

"It was really Daniel, yes." Vlad finished, confirming my suspicions.

"That also explains your cheesy cover story about 'finding' a kid that looked exactly like me on the street. For the record, I didn't believe that for one second. Why are you giving me all of this information?"

"I know you're in love with Samantha." I raised my eyebrows. Why was everyone making this accusation? Just because I feel it's necessary to keep an invisible eye on her doesn't mean I'm in love with her. That's how I found her at the mall and discovered Daniel's mistreatment of her. I've been watching out for her. Tucker's been calling me a stalker for weeks now. Don't get me wrong, though. I'm no Edward Cullen. I don't watch her while she sleeps or anything like that. I monitor whatever I feel needs to be monitored. It did _not_ mean I loved Sam… did it?

"No. She's only a friend. And she likes to be called Sam." I frowned.

"Oh please, Daniel. I can see the look in your eyes when you talk to her. You defended a girl you hardly know with about as much ferocity as you possess when we battle; and we have been fighting for eight years. You barely even know her, and already you feel this way about her. I know her engagement to Daniel is killing you inside." He walked in circles around me, taunting me with this.

"However, I do believe I may be of assistance to you." He smiled sinisterly, his eyes narrowing as he analyzed me as if I were a piece in one of his little chess games. I glowered right back at him.

"In what way?" I asked warily. I had a feeling I didn't want to hear his proposal.

"I am the only one with the power to shut Daniel down. If you join me, I will. And you'll be free to pursue romantic relations with Samantha."

The room filled with silence after he uttered those words.

"And if I don't?" My defiant words echoed throughout the large hall

"Ah, I was hoping you'd ask that." Vlad was pleased.

"You see, my boy, Daniel is not perfect. In fact, he is rather unstable." He sounded almost happy that his best clone was unstable. "He is significantly more stable than Danielle, but it just isn't enough. He is not in danger of dissolving into ectoplasm, but he loses energy very quickly, often taking days or weeks to recharge. The only thing keeping him awake during all of these recent publicity events is energy supplements I have been giving him daily."

"And? What does this have to do with anything?" I didn't see the point to his words.

"You see, we both have a ghost-human equilibrium, which balances both our human and ghost halves. Daniel's is incredibly imbalanced. He is more ghost than he is human. His energy depletes because his ghost half is working double-time to fuel his human half. All Daniel needs is another component to stabilize him."

"I still don't see where you're going with this." I rolled my eyes at the insane billionaire.

"Samantha would be that component."

I was speechless. My heart rate sped up as I tried to form words. What did this entail? Would it kill her?

"How exactly would she become 'a component'?" I felt my voice quaver as it cracked.

"Quite simple, really. All he would have to do is absorb her energy, which will continue to fuel his human half. I have searched millions of different records looking for a match Daniel's system wouldn't reject." He explained, as if there was nothing wrong.

"Would it… kill her?"

He nodded in affirmation and smirked. How I _hated_ that look he gave me! I had had enough of masking my emotions. My voice rose, my hands were balled into fists, and my face was contorted into a snarl.

"You're willing to take someone's life just to have the perfect son?" I grabbed a hold of the lapels of his tuxedo, shoving him against a wall roughly.

"Now, now, Daniel, don't do anything you'll regret."

"I won't regret it." I was furious.

"If you kill anyone, I know you'll regret it. Killing anything, even your enemies, goes against your heroic nature. However, I am not above making a few sacrifices for my own personal gain." He sneered. I released him reluctantly and he brushed the fresh wrinkles out of his suit.

"Besides, Daniel," he continued, "I am giving you a choice." I could finally see where this was going, and I didn't like it one bit.

"Either you renounce your father and become _my heir_ and Samantha's potential husband, or you refuse and allow Samantha to perish. I will give you until the wedding to decide. That would be July 18th, so you have a little more than a month. Choose wisely. A pleasure doing business with you, Daniel." He winked, smiled his typical menacing, devious, wolfish smile, and disappeared.

It had taken me too long to charge my energy blasts. Vlad had vanished a split second before they would have hit him directly between his eyes. Instead, I left two very large and noticeable scorch marks on his wall. _Oh well._

I ran from the spot, somehow finding my way to a garden far from the party, which was probably a good place to think. Sam's life was on the line. What would I do? How could I save her without swearing my allegiance to Vlad? I was stuck between two things: my friendship (maybe more?) with Sam and my hatred for Vlad. An idea struck me. I found a dark corner where I could transform. While Vlad was occupied with his party, I could search the house to find something that could help! But a few seconds later, I realized the problems with this plan: Vlad had cameras everywhere; he could also duplicate; Daniel may also have been lurking around. Suddenly, I heard rapidly approaching footsteps, which stopped a few feet away. It was too late for me to transform back into a human or go intangible.

"What are you doing here?" I heard Sam's hostile tone behind me. I turned quickly. "You got me into this mess." She continued accusingly. Her unique purple eyes were like ice as she regarded me with hatred.

"You threw me right to Vlad."

"I know you won't believe me," I began, "but that _was not me_! It was a clone. Vl – One of my enemies," I caught myself before I could give anything away, "was able to duplicate me. The Phantom who betrayed you was not me."

"Please. That is the oldest trick in the book. 'It wasn't me! It was my evil clone!'" she crossed her arms.

"You want proof? Quiz me." I challenged her.

"You could lie." She refused. She was just so stubborn. What would it take to get her to believe me? I immediately remembered her words to me when I first met her.

"_Now this is the creepy part. The guy they wanted me to marry also looks exactly like you do. What's weirder: you both have the same name. Yeah, I know. I knew it weren't him because…"_

_ "Why?"_

_ "It's kind of stupid." _

_ "Tell me!"_

_ "Okay, okay! It was your eyes, alright? You both have the same exact eye color, but his eyes were lifeless and dull and yours are bright and full of emotion, if that makes any sense to you."_

It was my eyes! A clone's eyes never showed emotion, not even my sweet little cousin's. I grabbed her shoulders so she couldn't turn away.

"Let me go! You're not helping your case." She squeezed her eyes shut.

"Look into my eyes, Sam." I implored.

"What?"

"Just do it!" She snapped her eyes open and stared right into mine. Her muscles tensed, then relaxed as she realized she had nothing to fear.

"I'm… so sorry…" she trailed off, continuing to stare and losing herself in my gaze, much like how I was getting lost in hers. The light of the full moon was reflected in her eyes. I sighed quietly and her breathing hitched slightly.

"Don't worry about it." I breathed. We both moved closer. Our lips were only millimeters from each other. It seemed like time slowed down. Those accusations about my love for Sam ran through my mind again. I'm about to kiss her, again? Do friends kiss friends that way? Last time I checked, no, they didn't. Vlad was right; I was in love. I realized the truth right at that moment, when my lips were mere seconds away from touching hers.

"Samantha! Where have you gone?" I heard the snob's voice, practically the same as my own, calling out for Sam, successfully jerking me and Sam out of our trance-like state. I became invisible as soon as I heard him and flew off back to the party, all the while cursing Vlad and his creation.

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><p><strong>*For those of you who don't know, Ecto Dejecto is a Fenton Invention which is supposed to dissolve ghosts and take away their power. But since it's a Fenton Invention, it does just the opposite, and helped Danny successfully stabilize Dani.<strong>

**And there you have it! Daniel is a clone! And Danny and Sam finally admit their feelings! Even though they haven't told each other... yet ;) I actually initially added the part about the "cold and emotionless eyes" at the beginning both to illustrate the inadequacies of a clone (even if the clone is sweet, adorable Danielle), and to have a way for Sam to be able to tell the two Dannys apart. And you all now know the real reason Vlad and Daniel need Sam so badly. And then, Vlad decides to take advantage of the love between Danny and Sam that he didn't expect to find. Hope you all liked!**

**REMEMBER! I have a little bit of writer's block, so reviews are EXTREMELY appreciated, especially with ideas. Or you can PM me. That's cool too.**

**TheNumberFour OUT! :D**


	9. Dangerous Chase

**So I'll just get right to the story! I don't think anyone reads my beginning author's notes anyways, so I'll just make some notes after the chapter.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Danny Phantom or anything that obviously doesn't belong to me that I mention here. I need to get more interesting ideas of a disclaimer :/**

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><p>SPOV<p>

I turned back to the spot Phantom had been standing, and he had disappeared. Daniel found me before I had a chance to hide.

"Samantha, what in the world are you doing out here? You should be inside." Daniel's voice sounded as cold as his eyes looked.

"Inside where _you_ can drag me around and introduce me to more strangers I don't care about? Pass." I spat with disgust. There was no way I was going to endure more of _that_.

"You should really know better than to talk to me like that, Samantha." He straightened up to his full, imposing height and grabbed my chin, forcing me to look at him.

"Oh, should I? What could you possibly do to me? I can see that you seriously haven't learned _anything_ tonight." I growled.

"Do you see my father anywhere? And where's your little protector, Danny? You do realize that once we're married, we'll have much, much more of this 'alone time,' meaning I'll have the power to make your life a living hell. My father doesn't even have to know." Daniel smirked deviously, his grip on my chin tightening. "Face it. You're powerless against me. You'd do well to be the obedient little wife I desire."

"Never." I wrenched myself out of his grip, and in one quick motion, I slapped him across the face. There was a moment of silence between us. I stepped back as his fury began to take control. Suddenly, he lunged forward at me, but I evaded him. I spun and began to run through the garden, truly afraid for once. Daniel was right on my tail. I don't know how I did it, but I somehow got my heels off while I was running, making me more agile. I threw them at him, effectively slowing him down. This garden was no garden – it was a maze, and I, unfortunately, had hit a dead end. He had me in a corner, approaching slowly.

"There's nowhere to go now, Samantha." His threatening sneer rang out though the quiet garden. But suddenly, I was jerked backward through a bush.

"Sam, are you alright?" Turquoise eyes focused on my disheveled form as I picked leaves and twigs from my hair.

"Jazz? Jazz! Oh, thank you so much. I thought I was a goner." I sighed, more relieved than I had ever been in my life. I was beginning to shake violently.

"Come on there's not much time," She said, "Daniel is going to get to us soon. I'll get you home." We started to run and eventually found the way out. Jazz brought me to a red convertible Volkswagen Beetle.

"I seriously need to find an appropriate way to thank you and your brother for saving me tonight."

"Don't mention it. Just hop in. I'll take you home." We were in the car, safe from Daniel. But then, I did something I didn't expect to do: I broke down and cried. The fear, anger, and sadness took over. I was scared of what would happen when I next saw Daniel, and also what would happen after we were wed. I was depressed because I didn't have a choice in the matter.

"You don't deserve this." Jazz whispered, glancing at me in concern. I nodded as my sobs turned into whimpers. I hiccupped and gave Jazz the directions to my apartment. We pulled up at the curb and Jazz took my arm leading me up to the door. I reached into my handbag for my key to unlock the front door. The walk up to the apartment was a blur. I was practically delusional from shock and fear. I knew Daniel was a bad guy, and sure, he threatened me, but I honestly thought he was bluffing. In the apartment, Jazz sat me down on the couch and hugged me as I began to bawl again.

"Cry it out… It'll be alright." She rubbed my back soothingly. I knew she meant well, but I respectfully disagreed with her statement. There was _no way_ it would be alright. "Do you need to talk about it? I'm a good listener." I decided to take her up on that offer.

"He's g-going to torture me a-after we get married." I grabbed a tissue and blew my nose. "I've never been more afraid of anything in my life, Jazz. I used to think he was b-bluffing. I c-can't marry him. I need someone better. Someone _I _would choose." I hiccupped again, trying to catch my breath.

"Like Danny?" She asked. Oh, this girl caught on quick. She knew about my feelings for Danny.

"You know?" I murmured in disbelief.

"How couldn't I? I know romance when I see it. You and my brother have a spark. Everyone is noticing. My mother is going on and on about how much she'd rather you date Danny. Even Dad, who supports Vlad no matter what, is disappointed 'Vlad found you first.'" Jazz smiled slightly. "We haven't known you for more than a few hours, but my family already adores you." I looked up in surprise.

"Same goes here. When I visited you today, I felt like I belonged with you guys." My tears had kind of subsided once again, though I continued to sniffle.

"I feel the same way, Sam." Jazz put a hand on my shoulder. Just then, Valerie entered the apartment.

"What happened?" Valerie was baffled.

"Daniel attacked Sam. Thank goodness I got there just in time." Jazz explained quickly to Val.

"He's trying to take control of me – of all of me. I refused to let that happen, and he didn't like it." I sighed again.

"Thank you so much, Jazz. I think I can take care of her now." Val relieved Jazz of her duties, giving her a friendly goodbye hug. Once we were alone, I told Val everything that happened.

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><p>Later on, while I was trying (and failing) to get to sleep, I started to think. All of these Dan's were starting to make my head spin. First, I met Daniel. Simple enough. I didn't think I'd see his face again after I stormed out of my parents' house. Then I met Danny, and things became slightly more complicated, and then I fell for him, which confused me even more. Next, Danny Phantom comes into the picture, and later on, he informs me that he has an evil clone, most likely named Danny as well.<p>

I couldn't stop thinking about the Daniel's.

There was no way it was a coincidence that four different Dan's showed up in my life all at the same time. They all must be linked somehow. Come to think of it… there were two Vlad's too! My eyes widened in realization. All of them were connected. They had to have been. Was it something obvious? What the situation was some Batman and Bruce Wayne thing? Spiderman and Peter Parker? Or Superman and Clark Kent? All Superman had to do was take off his glasses, and Spiderman and Batman covered their faces.

I sighed. How would Fenton (or Masters) become Phantom? Hair dye and contacts? Putting on such an intricate disguise would take too much time. Superheroes need to move quickly and efficiently, so a full-body make over would not be the best way to save the world as quick as possible.

I groaned softly, because none of it made sense. I suppose I should have been trying to figure this out when I was awake and alert, when my mind and logic were not clouded by sleep. I closed my eyes and tried unsuccessfully to lull myself to sleep. I felt like it was the night before the first day of school (I never could get any sleep during those nights). However, tomorrow would not be at all similar to the pleasant first day after summer, when you'd catch up with your friends and meet new teachers. Tomorrow was the day I would start looking for a wedding dress. I punched my pillow.

DPOV

What was I going to do? I loved Sam. I couldn't let her die just to become Daniel's "component." But, if I accepted Vlad's offer, I would be forced to be his son and apprentice (you'd think he'd give up on the son idea after I became a legal adult.) Another thing occurred to me, though. If I chose to let Sam live and sacrificed my own freedom to Vlad, Daniel would be destroyed. I hated Daniel, and, of course, I thought the world was much better off without him, but it didn't mean he deserved to die. He was like Danielle, even though he acted just the opposite of my sweet younger cousin. He was still human. Vlad had told me that he was more ghost than human. It didn't mean that he wasn't human.

Either way, a life would be lost. Which life did I value more? Obviously Sam's. But would I be willing to end someone else's life to achieve what I wanted to? Definitely not; that was something Vlad would do. I had to find some other way around this. I considered so many options.

I might have been able to to hide Sam away… but that would be impossible considering the amount of publicity she was getting. If she suddenly disappeared from the public eye, everyone would know something was wrong. Plus the likely fact that Vlad, after telling me his plans, most likely beefed up the secret ghostly security in charge of protecting Sam (in the event that I actually did attempt to steal Sam away, just to ensure I chose only from the two options he presented me.)

It looked like I would be forced to join forces with Vlad. For obvious reasons, I was barely considering the option to just let the marriage occur. But wait… If Daniel became stable, he wouldn't need to drain Sam's energy. Though it meant keeping Daniel alive, something I only wanted to do because of my heroic beliefs, it also meant keeping Sam alive. Vlad didn't know about the Ecto-Dejecto. He was busy fighting Valerie when I used it to stabilize her. All he knew was that I made Danielle structurally sound; he had no idea how I did it. All I had to do was find Danielle. I had given her the Dejecto to keep in case she started to melt down again.

I smiled to myself slightly, satisfied with my potential solution. I could remove most of the leverage Vlad had over me by taking away his chance to murder Sam. But the wedding still needed to be dealt with. I had no idea if Vlad would call it off because he had no use for Sam anymore or continue on with his plans because he knew that forcing Sam into marriage would hurt me the most. The latter seemed most likely. If I went through with this plan, was I willing to let her go? The old, cliché saying popped into my mind at that moment, "If you love someone, let them go." I stood up and paced around my room.

Anything I chose would hurt me! If I chose to go with Vlad, he'll destroy Daniel and I'll be responsible for a death. If I chose to stand by and allow the wedding to happen, Sam would die and Daniel would become more powerful. If my other plan worked and I was able to stabilize Daniel, no lives would be lost, but the love of my life would be forced to leave me forever. She had just come into my life. Was I ready to lose her so soon?

I sighed and sat back down, burying my head in my hands.

"Psst! Danny!" My head jerked up at the sound. This had to be way too convenient.

"What are you doing here, Danielle?" As I stared at my nineteen-year-old half-ghost cousin, I wondered how it was possible that she had gotten here just as I'd been arranging to find her myself.

"Well Vlad's 'son's' engagement has been all over the place. I first heard about it while I was exploring the Ghost Zone. I thought it was just a rumor, but when I finally saw it on television somewhere out in California, I knew I had to come see you." She explained to me.

"It's a good thing you did. I'll tell you why in a minute, after I fill you in on everything else." I recited information Vlad had told me as well as the events that had occurred in the past few days.

"He's finally made a 'successful clone,' huh?" Dani snarled in disdain.

"Not completely successful, remember? He's still unstable. But here's the problem: he needs to use someone I know to stabilize him. He has to absorb her energy, which will kill her." I explained.

"Who?"

"The girl he's engaged to, Sam."

"Let me see if I can fill in the rest, because I know both you and Vlad so well." Dani stroked her chin and continued, "You fell for this girl. Vlad is using her against you and has presented you with two options: to join him, spare the girl, and allow him to destroy Daniel, or to just let it happen and let the girl die?" I was speechless.

"How –" I sputtered out.

"I _know _you. And I'm not done." She protested with a smirk.

"Then by all means, proceed." I smiled wryly.

"You don't know which to choose. Even if Daniel is a horrible soul, he's alive, and you can't let someone die for your own personal gain. You obviously can't just let the wedding happen because Sam will die. So you've come up with your own plan to stabilize Daniel before Vlad uses Sam's life force to do it. That's why you need me: you need the Ecto-Dejecto." My mouth went agape.

"I'm technically your clone. We kind of think the same way." She added with a roll of her eyes.

"Well, yeah. You're absolutely right. I just don't know what it will do. Doing this will make Daniel stronger and won't prevent the wedding; guaranteed that even if he has no use for Sam anymore, he'll follow through with his plans just to make me suffer."

"Well, it seems like you are in a predicament." Danielle floated upside-down, still acting like she was when she was twelve. Over the years, she hadn't changed much. She was capable of growth, which I didn't expect considering the fact that she was created by science and was not a naturally conceived human. She told me that in a town across the country, she had found a family to take her in when she was about fourteen years old – they had found her lying on the street, dirty and beat-up, presumably after a battle with one of her own ghostly enemies. She had since graduated from high school, managing to maintain her own ghostly secret from her foster family and her new friends. She had opted not to go to college, deciding to travel the world to fight ghosts and learn more about the Ghost Zone. I was proud that she found her way, despite the fact that Vlad messed her mind up so much when she was young.

"So, while we try to figure this out, do you mind if I stay with you?"

"Sure, why not?" My cousin transformed into a human and collapsed on the bed, just as my sister burst into my room.

"What are you doing here, Jazz? Shouldn't you be home now?" I looked at my breathless sister.

"I need to talk to you. Immediately. You need to keep a better eye on Sam. He _attacked her._" I sat up straight. Danielle gasped.

"Oh no…" I ran my fingers through my hair. "I should have known that he wouldn't listen. Apparently he assaulted her in the limousine on the way to the party too. I saw the injuries myself."

"The girl is distraught, Danny. She doesn't want to go through with this. After they get married he'll be doing this so much more often." Jazz sat down on the bed next to me and clasped her hands together.

"I honestly don't think that's the biggest problem she'll have after the wedding." I explained to Jazz what Vlad had told me. Jazz was enraged.

"We can't let this happen! Vlad probably doesn't even care that Daniel's abusive. He probably just wants a living, breathing Sam to kill."

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><p><strong>So hey! I finally updated! Hooray! SOOOOOO sorry about the enormous wait. <strong>

**This chapter isn't really one of my favorites. Idk... But I hope you guys liked it. I know it's kind of rushed too... oh well.**

**I want to thank you for all of your reviews and ideas. They were all really helpful! You guys rock. :)**

**And also, I need to clarify something from the first chapter: I mentioned Sam had a sister. She, in fact, does not. Sam's sister was just an idea I was toying with when I was first writing the story, but I changed my mind about including her.**

**Over and out!**

**~TheNumberFour**


	10. Shopping Trip

**I'M SORRY, I'M SORRY, I'M SORRY, I'M SORRY! I've been a reeeeaall jerk of an author. Actually, my muse, Byron, has been a real jerk to me. I feel so bad about making all of my awesome readers wait.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything except the plot.**

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><p>NPOV<p>

Jazz didn't know how wrong her statement was. Vlad sat back in his armchair, displeased after reviewing the security footage. He clenched his fists, attempting not to slam his hand down on the intercom button as he pressed it.

"Daniel, please come see me in my office immediately." His tone was dangerously calm as he spoke while drumming the fingers of his other hand on the surface of the desk.

Vlad was livid. The boy could not control himself! Vlad had tried to make it crystal clear that Samantha was not to be harmed. And then the boy lost his temper and attempted to assault her _yet again._

It was beginning to seem that each clone he attempted to create was a failure! Vlad massaged his temples. He finally creates a functioning copy of Daniel Fenton, but is put through chaos like this because Daniel's human form is not fully operational,_ and_ in addition, his personality is the exact opposite of Danny Fenton's.

"You wanted to see me, father?" Daniel phased his head through the thick wooden double-doors.

"Yes, son. Do come in." Vlad motioned for his cloned son to fully enter the room. "Have a seat, Daniel."

The clone followed his creator's directions and rested in the large leather chair positioned in front of the desk, curious about the reason he was summoned, but also mildly fearful as he noticed the enraged glint in his seemingly calm father's eyes.

"Tell me child," the introductory phrase Vlad used triggered memories of his first battle with Daniel Fenton during the college reunion, when he was comparing his own powers with the original ghost boy's, "You remember I gave explicit orders to you last night NOT to harm Samantha in any way?" Vlad cut to the chase right away.

"Yes, and I followed your orders." The younger man lied smoothly. But what Daniel failed to remember was that he was lying to a master liar.

"Oh, really?" Vlad's eyebrows shot up as he pushed another button on his desk. The panel of television screens on the wall behind his head flickered to life, showing the footage recorded by the garden patio's security cameras. The black and white, soundless video clearly depicted two figures, one tall and muscular, one slender and feminine: Daniel and Samantha. Daniel was talking quietly and grasping Sam's chin, when suddenly she jerked away and slapped him hard across the face. Not a second later, Daniel had lunged at his fiancée.

Vlad paused the footage at that point.

"Never lie to me, boy. And just to inform you, son… I can also read lips. I know each and every word you said." Vlad hissed. Daniel was shaking slightly because could practically _feel_ the rage emanating from his father. Vlad became even more disappointed at this behavior. He knew for a fact that Daniel Fenton would not cower in the face of Vlad's nasty moods. Daniel Fenton would have faced them head on and put up an interesting fight.

"Why exactly do you care about how I act towards her? When she gives me her humanity, she'll be destroyed anyway! And her emotional opposition isn't an issue in the procedure either!" Daniel protested sourly. _And there's another thing_, Vlad noted. _He speaks like I do; not like Danny Fenton_. There was no witty banter when Daniel argued with his creator; no sarcastic, yet humorous remarks muttered under his breath. It was one of the habits which had drawn Vlad's interest to the original Danny.

"If it was, you'd be doomed." Vlad retorted. "Daniel, you must understand that even though her physical compatibility with your system is the main factor, she now has other choices, thanks to Danny Fenton and his little friends. What if your behavior pushes her so far over the edge that she finds a way out of this?" He growled at his thickheaded son. He supposed such an argument would be similar with Danny Fenton, equally as stubborn.

"Fine. I'll behave. I'll hold my tongue. Just… how am I supposed to redeem myself?" Daniel looked up at his father with those dull, lifeless blue eyes, attempting to plead silently. If there was one thing Vlad completely despised about his creation it was the eyes. Why couldn't the eyes hold as much emotion as Danny Fenton's. The clones could never live up to his goals!

Vlad would have preferred if Daniel figured it out on his own, much like Vlad himself or Danny Fenton would have done. This was yet another area in which his clone son was lacking. But finally, Vlad relented.

"Alright, son," he sighed, glancing at his watch (he had somewhere to be in about a half-hour), "here is what you tell her…"

SPOV

_Please get me out of here. Please get me out of here. Please get me out of here._ I was trapped in a dressing room, chanting to myself mentally. I was trying and failing to put on the horrible death trap of a dress my mother picked out. It was at least two sizes too small because my mother wanted to "emphasize my curves." In actuality, she wanted to boast to the world that she had a perfectly slim and pretty daughter.

I gritted my teeth, sucked in my gut, and attempted, yet again to zip the dress up.

"Sammykins! Are you ready yet?" My mother's impatient tone could be heard outside.

"No, Mother. It's a wedding dress, not a pair of jeans." I growled, trying once more to zip up the fragile white material.

"Don't worry, Sam. Just take your time." Valerie was just as irritated by my mother as I was. Thankfully, this dress was easier than the rest (which isn't saying much considering the battle I had with it), and I was finished changing in only a few more minutes. It was strapless, tied with a silver sash at the waist. It didn't have the over-the-top lace and beading my mother was so fond of, but it did have frills, and LOTS of them. I could handle only a small, subtle, and tasteful amount of the embellishments and NO frills.

I hated it. I went out to check with my mother and maid of honor. Valerie was really my only bridesmaid. My mother had wanted to influence my choice, trying to get me to ask Paulina Sanchez and her little satellite, Star, the daughters of her Country Club friends, but naturally, I refused. There was no chance I was going to act like those pampered prima-donnas were my best friends, especially after they treated me like a freak and basically forced me into isolation whenever my family spent time at the Club.

After the events the night before, though, I was actually considering making Jazz my other bridesmaid. She was the only other female friend I had after all, and she was even starting to become like a sister to me.

"I love it, Sammy! Don't you adore those frills!?" She played with the ruffles and told me to spin around for her. I reluctantly obliged.

"Mother, are you looking at the _dress_ or how the dress looks on _me_?" My patience with her was wearing thin, and the exasperation I felt was intensifying rapidly along with my need for air as the tight dress crushed my lungs.

"Of course I was looking at the dress on you, silly Sammy." Ok, was she kidding me with this? Silly Sammy? _And_ I could tell for a fact that she was lying. She never cared how I looked in the abominations she called dresses. She only wanted me to wear them because they were high-quality and expensive. She took pride in flashing designer labels wherever she went, and obviously longed for me to do the same.

"Sure." I responded sarcastically. "Well I, personally, don't like how this looks. The frills make it look boxy on me even though it's way too small." Mother scowled, obviously disagreeing with my point.

"I agree with Sam." Val spoke up. "It just doesn't look right on her."

"I concur." A familiar male tone sounded from the doorway behind us. Why was _Vlad_ here?

"Oh Vlad! It's so super that you could make it today!" Only my mother used the word 'super' in everyday conversation. And wasn't it traditional for men _not_ to be present on shopping trips of this nature? Mother evidently noticed the expression of puzzlement on my face.

"Samantha, normally, I would invite the mother of the groom to accompany us on this trip, but since Mr. Masters is Daniel's sole guardian, I thought inviting him would be equally as appropriate." She explained to me. I sighed. As if dress searching with Mom wasn't bad enough.

"Can I try on something else?" I sighed (with difficulty, since the dress was about to pop) and put my hands on my hips, tapping my foot impatiently.

"Go ahead, Sammy." My mother shoved another dress in my arms and pushed me into the dressing room.

I looked at the pile of fabric in my arms and exclaimed before I closed the dressing room door, "Oh God, more frills!"

About twenty hideous dresses later, I collapsed in the chair in the corner, dead tired. I wanted to take a short break, and Valerie agreed with me. My mother was completely against the idea, but when Vlad suggested that resting for a few minutes would be good for me, she was more accepting of the plan. The way she sucked up to him was not surprising at all.

"So I'm a little tired of being a dress-up doll. Maybe the next dress I try on can be one I choose myself?" I asked my mother.

"Oh, Samantha, that may not be the best idea. I think we all know who has the better sense of fashion." Mom waved me away as she sipped some sparkling water the fancy store had provided for us. I almost laughed out loud.

"Pamela, I don't believe Samantha's idea is all that bad. Though your taste of clothes is… impeccable," I could tell Vlad was lying to spare my mother's feelings, "none of the choices you've made have suited Samantha all that well." My mother was disappointed, but agreed with Vlad anyway. _Typical._

I think this instance was the only time I approved of having Vlad around. We waited a few more minutes until I regained enough energy to brave the dress jungle my mother called a store.

I looked around, not liking anything I saw. But then, I spotted another dress, pushed into a corner and obscured by the other frilly, sparkly dresses. Valerie helped me push the other dresses aside and get a better look at it.

It was pure white, strapless, and simple. The skirt wasn't _too_ full; it wouldn't take up the whole aisle, like the dresses my mother wanted me to wear. The bodice had a tasteful amount of ornate swirling silver embroidery and beading over the chest, which continued down the back of the dress, stopping when the flowing skirt began. This was a dress I could see myself in. I called the saleslady over.

"May I have a look at this dress?" I asked politely, forcing a pleasant smile onto my face.

"Of course! I'll help you carry back to the changing area." I thanked her and followed her to the dressing room.

I undressed once again. The dress was easier to put on than the others, which automatically increased my confidence in my choice. This was the first time I actually felt excited for this wedding. At least I'd be comfortable in my dress, even if I wasn't comfortable with my psycho, abusive fiancé. I carefully zipped up the back of the dress without any help (an uncommon talent that I was quite proud of) and walked out of the dressing room somewhat proudly. I'd never admit it to anyone, but I could deal with wearing dresses, so long as it was my own style and not my mother's.

For once, my mother was speechless. I smirked at that. I also grinned at the fact that she realized I wasn't inept at choosing my own clothes. Val also stared at me in awe, a smile beginning to spread across her face.

"I do believe we've found your gown, Samantha. You look absolutely ravishing, my dear." Vlad looked me up and down, as my mom and Valerie nodded in agreement with his statement.

"Thank you, Mr. Masters." I replied politely to my father-in-law-to-be. He smiled – more like smirked, but as I became more familiar with the man, I learned that all of his smiles looked that way – and stood up, hugging my mother briefly, and then turned to me.

"It's been lovely shopping with you, my dear. I'll be seeing you soon." He also pulled me in for a short hug.

"Likewise. Thank you for coming, Mr. Masters." I gave him a genuine smile before he left the room. I don't know what came over me. Maybe it was the fact that I was so tired and delirious from about seven hours of trying on wedding dresses. Or it could have been that Vlad had been with us for only a little while and he had stood up to my mother multiple times and actually helped me find the right dress. It was the only time Vlad's company had been bearable.

I honestly didn't know what to think of Vlad anymore. The first few days, he seemed so horrible, teaming up with my parents and practically threatening me into accepting the proposal. But then, at his party, he reprimanded Daniel for his abuse, even though it didn't quite sink into Daniel's thick skull that he wasn't allowed to hurt or threaten me. And _now_ Vlad was acting more fatherly and gentle. It made me angry. Could everyone just be consistent for once?

What was gonna happen now? Was Daniel going to become magically courteous and kindhearted? Don't make me laugh.

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><p><strong>So yeah... It's not much, but at least it got me back on track.<strong>

**I would like to thank everyone who reviewed and also give some shoutouts and a few responses to people who reviewed. (I'm starting to do that now) AND OMG I'M ALMOST AT A HUNDRED REVIEWS! :D HOORAY! *shoots confetti cannon***

**So...**

**SHOUTOUTS TO:**

**First of all, everyone who reviewed the first 8 chapters... The list is a bit long, considering I have nearly a HUNDRED reviews :)**

**Chicalata**

**tigerab1997**

**the-writing-vampire: Thanks so much for your idea! I really like it. I may use that later on :)**

**CSIalchemist**

**Looka'sMagicHell**

**DizzlyPuzzled: I also like your idea. Thank you so much for helping me out a little bit! And, yes, this story is AU.**

**Oak Leaf Ninja**

**swiftie13**

**Kpfan72491**

**LindaBabii**

**The Demon Fox Heir**

**Dragonrule**

**FutureAirbender18: Haha thank you! It makes me feel so awesome that you think I have a "storytelling gift" :DD**

**Eva Maverx**

**YOU ALL ROCK for dealing with my horrible update schedule, which really isn't a schedule at all... therein lies the problem...**

**BLAME BYRON.**

**Till next time,**

**TheNumberFour**


	11. Author's note

Hey everyone. I know it's been forever since I updated this story and I apologize in advance for what you are about to read.

The biggest problem is: I've lost a lot of inspiration for it. It's gotten to the point where I'll only write maybe a sentence more every few months. Another problem is that I'm doing all of my college application stuff and school is really stressful right about now. And even worse: other shows and fandoms have been completely sucking me in. I'm actually starting to have more ideas for them than I am for my Danny Phantom stories. I'm still a Danny Phantom fan; I always return to the fandom when the novelty of a new fandom wears off, so don't worry _too_ much!

Anyway, with a heavy heart, I'm announcing the hiatus of this story and my other story Road Trip. I AM **_NOT_** DISCONTINUING OR ABANDONING THEM. I _will_ be back once the inspiration returns.

A Summer With the Titans will not be on hiatus. I still have plenty of ideas for that one, thankfully. I just won't update it as often as I'd like.

I'm really sorry, faithful readers. Thank you for your support, followers, favorite-ers and reviewers.

~TheNumberFour


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